Today the Obama administration threw a lifeline to America's undocumented youth, announcing that it will stop deporting and give work permits to young adults who came to the U.S. as children, or DREAMers. Through well-established executive authority, the administration will temporarily spare youth educated in America's schools from expulsion from the United States.
This announcement is especially fitting today, the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Plyler v. Doe. In Plyler, the Court held that all children in America are entitled to a basic public education, regardless of immigration status. The DREAMers are Plyler's legacy--students who have worked hard to achieve their educational and career goals and become contributing members of society.
"Today, the administration has provided these young adults the opportunity to pursue the American Dream," said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.
The threat of deportation has haunted the lives of students like Heydi Meija, who, as reported by the Washington Post, was brought to the United States from Guatemala at age four and recently graduated with honors from Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, Virginia. Heydi had planned to go to college, until immigration officers came to her family's apartment in December, turning her senior year into a countdown to deportation. Today, the nightmare for students like Heydi has come to an end, at least for a while.
Under the new policy, DREAMers will be eligible for "deferred action" for two years (subject to renewal) if they arrived in the U.S. before age 16, are younger than 30; have been in the U.S. for at least five continuous years; graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED or served in the U.S. armed forces; and have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
This important victory is a testament to the power of the immigrant youth movement and its inspiring young leaders like recent guest-blogger Lorella Praeli of United We Dream, or Victor Palafox, an Alabama community organizer whom we recently hosted at our celebration of Plyler in Washington, D.C. The ACLU has proudly stood with the DREAMers at the national level and in states like Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Rhode Island, and celebrates their victory today.
But today's stopgap is not enough. The President cannot provide our promising undocumented youth with what they ultimately need--a path to U.S. citizenship. For a permanent solution, Congress must pass the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to our country as children and graduate from high school. For over a decade, America's business executives, military commanders, college presidents, mayors, and faith leaders have called on Congress to pass the DREAM Act, yet Congressional Republicans have blocked the DREAM Act from final passage. So as we celebrate today's victory, we call on all Members of Congress to pass the DREAM Act and protect and build America's future.
If so, I'd like to embezzle money from the bank I work at and put it away for my kids college fund. Both my kids are on the honor roll every semester, we just don't have alot of money for college.
Mr. Romero, you will defend my children's right to keep this money, right? After all, it cam to them through no fault of theirs.
I'll ask at the local ACLU office and see if they will help me. I asked Nita Lowey this same question last year and she walk away from me and refused to answer.
No wonder... Its a witless question, based upon a clueless premise.
Illegal border crossing is a misdemeanor administrative infraction. Embezzlement is an actual crime... a felony.
DUI (drunk driving) is -- as far as the law is concerned -- a more serious crime than illegal border-crossing... but I'm sure that you've never driven a vehicle after having a few, right?
The decision is to not deport.... so how, exactly, would you propose to "defund" not deporting certain people?
To "not deport" requires no funding.
This decision is well within the administrative discretion of the Secretary of DHS, as has already been decided by the Supreme Court... so Congress has nothing to say about this particular decision.
And that "opposition" is anything but "loyal."
This estimate of 800k illegals allowed to stay is a complete sham - given to us by the corrupt, numbers fudging Obama administration. According to a DHS report, there are an estimated 11.5 million illegals in the US, of which, 5.7 million are under the age of 31. The last amnesty in 1986 suffered from massive fraud. With the current illegal population quite adept at document fraud, you really think that fraud won't happen on a massive scale? And can the agency handle this many applications or do background checks? Rubberstamping is going to be the norm. And that's what the Dems and pro-illegal immigrant groups want. Because once the fraud is exposed, it will be water under the bridge. The DREAM Act had similar issue, it was up to the govt to PROVE that the applicant was lying and, once approval was given, the applicant was protected for 10 years from deportation, even for a fraudulent application.
The true rate of unemployment is the U6, it's still over 15%. There are 20 million Americans who can't find full-time work. Sure, some of these illegals have jobs now but, they'll be able to get better jobs at YOUR expense. What do you think the impact of almost 6 million more workers will be for these 20 million Americans?
I mean we have only doubled our population once since 1960 and are slated to hit 600 million this century. That isn't nearly enough people to insure we use all our natural resources in the next few decades - lets do everything we can to hit a BILLION this century!
Look - if massive populations of low income, high birth rate, uneducated people were such a good thing then these people wouldn't be fleeing mexico would they? If massive populations were such a wonderful thing then people would be clamoring to move to china and india instead of running from it wouldn't they?
It is also absurd to state that a child of 16 has NO ties or memory of their native country. Only a deranged person could believe that. It also will act as a magnet for those families with kids to come here now. It has NO cut off date of entry, in which case is near impossible to prove since they came in illegally. It also does NOT demand that they follow the Selective Service law. That is the best indicator of whether or not the kids who become adults are willing to be law abiding citizens, in addition to showing that they are willing to give back tot he US.
It's not a child's fault that they were brought here, it's their parents fault. But that doesn't mean they should be rewarded. A crime is a crime no matter what it is. I'm tired of a lot of Latino's trying to "Posse up" for immigration reform that benefits CRIMINALS. These criminals have no ID, no social security cards, no drivers licenses & yet they work, reside & drive in the U.S.. If I'm not mistaken that is ILLEGAL! It's a crime.
Do the crime, do the time. Sorry if you brought deportation onto your children but an example must be made, especially in economic times like these. I used to be a fan of Obama, but this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Did you know that Immigration authorities do not have unlimited monies and resources to expend on deportations? Did you know that the federal government is under pressure to spend our tax dollars wisely? Then how do you oppose President Obama asking Immigration to focus their efforts on DANGEROUS criminals rather than less dangerous ones, and making permits available so young migrants DO NOT WORK ILLEGALLY, but pay taxes like other workers?
Obama has given me a 1,000,000 reasons not to vote for him again: his gladhandling of the banks, his healthcare plan which was a boon for the insurance companies, his allowing the Bush tax cuts to be renewed.... this is yet another straw. I live in California, I don't have to vote for Obama, the state will go to him anyway. That doesn't mean I vote Republican. There are plenty of third party candidates who can receive my protest vote.
By the way one thing illegal immigrants are being used for is to destroy what many people died for & that's the right to a fair wage. I don't think that the Prez is a part of that but he is using this as a way to gain votes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B-bdPfwVWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecHaJHSJMo4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOrQHXXnLGo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0TBCEQp38
and you go to watch this.. made from a puerto rican girl..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axy9qxXPcHw&feature=related
"undocumented, unafraid, unapologetic"
Embarrassing. I would hope that my kids would never be proud of me if a committed a crime, even if it was for "their benefit".
But in case you still don't get it, look at Obama's recently leaked secret trade deal.
Second, I am also concerned with H1B abuses. However you're mad at the wrong guys. In fact, the Democrats HAD addressed H1B abuses in the stimulus legislation. THE GOP WOULDN'T VOTE on the stimulus until it was removed. The GOP, party of BigBiz, is your culprit.