Obama readies executive action on immigration
Source: Washington Post
President Obama is preparing to announce new measures that would potentially allow millions of illegal immigrants to remain in the United States without fear of deportation, a politically explosive decision that could jolt Washington just weeks before the midterm elections, according to people who have been in touch with the White House.
Administration officials have told allies in private meetings that both the current surge of Central American children crossing the border and Congresss failure this year to pass a broader immigration overhaul have propelled the president toward taking action on his own by summers end.
Obama aides have discussed a range of options that could provide legal protections and work permits to a significant portion of the nations more than 11 million undocumented residents, said Democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocates who have met recently with White House officials. Ideas under consideration could include temporary relief for law-abiding undocumented immigrants who are closely related to U.S. citizens or those who have lived in the country a certain number of years a population that advocates say could reach as high as 5 million.
Some Senate Democrats running for reelection in traditionally conservative states, such as Arkansas and Louisiana, have expressed misgivings about Obama going too far on his immigration order, fearing it will not play well among voters in their states.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-readies-executive-action-to-legalize-millions-of-undocumented-immigrants/2014/08/01/222ae2e8-18f8-11e4-85b6-c1451e622637_story.html
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)If every other "free" trade agreement is an indicator, the TpP will move millions of US jobs to other countries, increasing US unemployment and dropping wages, so foreign nationals won't want o come here anymore.
Problem solved!
candelista
(1,986 posts)Then we'll have a double-whammy.
4now
(1,596 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Response to alp227 (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
TT_Progress
(67 posts)the executive needs to fix the other inequities and issues with immediate relatives of US citizens before overwhelming the system. Right now there are terrible inequities that do not get fixed because some groups, like citizens with spouses and children of other nationalities, do not have lobbying powers.
The immigration system is a terrible and tragic patchwork due to inequities in lobbying power. This has been seriously agitated by the addition of Homeland Security which is a terribly rigid institution and is not flexible when families are involved.
There are several hundred thousand mixed nationality citizen families who have to wait several years for their spouses and children. Even when the marriage may be 30 years they will be separated if they enter or return to the US.
**The system now allows foreign laborers to bring their spouses to the country and the process is ** a month!
** Foreign labor gets super fast service - 6-8 weeks for the primary and a paid expedite option is available.
** Because of an executive change last year, undocumented immigrant spouses can now apply to be processed without having to separate and can remain in the country (which is a good thing). But because of the inequitus nature of the system they are placed in the same queue as other immediate families, actually causing the normal processed families to be apart **longer**. Those queues need to be seperate and families that are apart need to be processes first.
** It is impossible to bring in a spouse of a citizen or permanent resident (legally) without the long wait, but the US allows people who bypass the system and bring a fiancee over on a visitors visa to adjust their status and remain together without interruption.
All immediate family members should be processed equitably. They should all have an abbreviated visa that allows them into the country (as happens with work visas now) where processing is finalized. EQUITABLY!
But none of these problems are in the special interest lobbying for "immigration reform" It will just add to the mess created through legislation by lobby power, instead of truly reforming the system. In fact, the immigration lobby is asking that non-immediate family members (adult brothers/sisters/aunts uncles etc) be allowed into the same priority as immediate family. If the other issues are not fixed first that will entirely mess over many families who are trying to be united.
Abouttime
(675 posts)Undocumented Americans should be given work permits and be allowed to obtain drivers licenses. This would be huge for Democrats, a permanent majority would be created with one executive action. Once in place no future administration including repukes would dare overturn it. We're talking 10 million+ potential voters who would forever identify with our side.
that having a working permit and drivers license arnt enough to allow you to vote.
You actually have to be a citizen.
Otherwise its fraud.
candelista
(1,986 posts)Even if it hurts jobs and wages for lower paid Americans, including many black Americans?
seveneyes
(4,631 posts)I can't think of a better way to get millions of unemployed American to the voting booth.
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)It might be framed better if the administration said it was taking a few of the essential parts from the bi-partisan Senate bill and using them as a temporary guideline until the House reaches a compromise with the Senate.
Individual, unauthorized, immigrants, who are part of a class likely to get normalized, shouldn't get singled out for deportation. If Republicans in the House intend to insist on deporting everyone then they should speak up loudly, and specifically, now.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)lot people out of work that could get really upset at this. Now many of those undocumented residents already have jobs here and they might as well have permits and pay taxes etc. No one can say they will be taking a job from someone else.
For the rest hopefully President Obama can find another way of keeping them safe. He needs to walk very carefully and yet act boldly in light of the permission the House gave him by walking out. Not an easy task.
I would suggest that he offer some type of path to citizenship to those with relatives in the USA already. I remember that when I was little relative visas used to help people in our community bring family members here from Europe.
candelista
(1,986 posts)That's what's problematic about this policy? No, what is problematic is the negative effect it will have on jobs and wages for low-income American workers, including many black Americans. The political implications are secondary.
Click here for opinion of US Civil Rights Commission Members on illegal immigration:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/04/three_civil_rights_commissione.html
jwirr
(39,215 posts)all of us are screwed. I have watched us lose too many elections to think that the political implications are of little importance. I am tired of the rethugs running this world. And in case you did not realize it you and I are saying the same thing. The people you list are the people that I was worried about alienating.
amazona10
(8 posts)the following industries would collapse without these workers, and believe me they are working and have been working for decades: hotels, restaurants, fruit/vegetable harvesting, housing, meat/poultry processing and many more. Yes, the repubs will come out in droves but all the dems have to say is look at these industries...look at who is working there now at minimum wage. Sorry, but americans are not willing to do this kind of labor at minimum wage anymore . also, the dairy industry
So let's raise the minimum... No?
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)If the system can't pay a living wage for those jobs, then the system is a failure and needs to be abolished in favor of one that works.
joeglow3
(6,228 posts)My father was more than happy to work his union drywall job. He was less happy about the non-union slave wage job a decade after illegal immigrants flooded the job market.
madville
(7,397 posts)It will be a great rallying cry for them, "backdoor amnesty!!!!", recent polls show this is the #1 issue at he moment with their base.
Long term it's a win for Democrats as the Hispanic population increases.
candelista
(1,986 posts)Including the low-paid workers (many of them black Americans) who will be displaced by this policy.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)and will wait to form an opinion on it once it is fully announced.