I wonder if President Obama realizes what he did with that executive order -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. He may get some Hispanic votes but if you stop and think about it, he sure didn't help them.
As a former criminal defense attorney, I can't figure out why in the world any lawyer would EVER recommend a client sign up for the temporary "deferred deportation" program. I think it would be legal malpractice.
Why would anyone here in this country ILLEGALLY go to the government and ADMIT being here ILLEGALLY, give his or her NAME AND ADDRESS for a TEMPORARY (not permanent) program (at best, it is two years... and a new president may cancel the executive order on day one)?
Should the applicant really trust that the government won't use all the foregoing against the applicant later? An ADMISSION of ILLEGALITY with NAME and ADDRESS? In most criminal cases the government has to at least struggle to identify the person and then find the person -- here the applicant is surrendering all that for the government.
Imagine how easy the future deportation hearing is! The government has the name, the address and won't have to jump through a hurdle to prove the case. All the prosecutor need do is just show the Homeland Security application!
(By the way, the government charges the applicants a $465 fee... and the program does NOT provide lawful status or a path to citizenship.)
Cross-posted from GretaWire.