Immigration Advocates Pan Obama Administration's Reform Efforts

Immigration advocates bemoaned the Obama administration's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation and "ferocious" emphasis on enforcement at a panel today at American University's Washington College of Law, warning that it could cost the president reelection in 2012.

“We came in with high hopes when Obama was elected,” said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress. “But we couldn’t even get 60 votes to pass something as sympathetic as the Dream Act.”

The Dream Act would have allowed children who were 15 or younger when they came to the United States to earn conditional permanent residency after completing two years of college or two years in the military.

Obama “can’t win [reelection] without the Latino vote,” Kelley said, noting that the Latino population is the fastest-growing in the United States. “Demographics are destiny...and right next to the economy in terms of Latino concerns is immigration.”

At this point, she said, there is “no hope for comprehensive immigration legislation. It’s not going to happen.” The result may be a patchwork of state laws. “States are grappling with a broken immigration system,” she said. “Federal lawmakers need to get out from under their desks and show some courage.”

Sarah Paoletti, who is the director of the Transnational Legal Migration Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, said that rather than focusing on “massive worksite raids that don’t project a good image” – the approach favored by George W. Bush – the Obama administration has used I-9 audits, which she called “more insidious.” Employers use the forms to verify a worker’s eligibility for employment in the United States.

“When there are more audits, more employers will switch to a cash economy, paying people off the books,” Paoletti said. “It’s pushing people further underground.”

The panelists, which also included American University history professor Alan Kraut, noted that the Obama administration has deported more people in its first two years than the Bush administration.

Paoletti did applaud the announcement yesterday by the Department of Homeland Security that it was ending the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or NSEERS, a program that required manual registration of citizens entering the United States from high-risk countries.

She said that the United States routinely discriminates against would-be immigrants from different countries, contrasting the treatment of Cuban immigrants with those from Haiti.

And she noted that the administration has resumed deportation of Haitians with criminal records – proceedings which had been suspended after the earthquake last year. One such deported immigrant recently died in a Haiti jail from cholera-like symptoms.

Comments

[chris]

Obama has been avoiding the immigration issue for more than a year now. That's OK. He's been avoiding the banks too.

[Illegals Suck]

Hipanics are just fools for believe anything Obama tells them. He is touting the same campaign BS as in 08, promising illegals amnesty that he cannot provide. If they fall for it again, they are just stupid! CIR or the DREAM Act will NEVER pass. There are way more voting legal citizens that will not vote for Obama than Mexicans who will. The Mexicans give themselves way too much credit for what they can do anyway. They yell, protest, whine and scream alot but thats about it! Deport all illegals!

[n8whit]

They say "education, not deportation"... We already paid for their K-12 education (for which 50% of Hispanics wont even graduate) costing the legal taxpayers $120,000 per student times millions of illegal kids. Now they demand even more. Crazy! Deport, deport, deport. Only in America do we allow lawbreakers not legally here to demand even more and the Democrats oblige their every whim.

One more thing, children of two illegal alien parents should not be considered a citizen. This is a misread of the 14th amendment.

[john]

YOU idiots.

The Dream ACT is not for adults.

The Dream ACT is for youths under 29, but they must have entered this country before the age of 16. So to qualify, you must have been living in the US when you were 15 or younger and you must be 29 or under to be eligible.

I'm sorry that the kid that's been here since he was 7 is now 28 years old. Should he stop growing? is it his fault that he's getting older every year? HE's been here for 21 years.

Pass the Dream ACT NOW.

[Steven]

The Obama administration is deporting more people than any before it. It's a waste of taxpayer money. People need to get real-- we cannot deport 12 million people. What's wrong with the idea of legalizing them and integrating them into our society. ?

[kolosochek]

I am mother, wife and daughter of American citizens. I don't have any criminal background, but I do have an order for deportation. Immigration reform is essential for the happiness of 4 American citizens in my family. They voted for Obama only because he promised us immigration reform. Obama himself promised to address the immigration during his election campaign, he didn't tell "the Congress has to act" or anything like what he is saying now. He, himself, promised immigration reform. He himself has to deliver, otherwise there no point voting for him, there is no reason to believe that he will deliver on his promise during his second term. He is responsible for the outcome of his promises, not the Congress. Congress didn't promise us immigration reform, Obama did.

[John Randolph]

It doesn't matter which camp you are in, the elite who run both country's governments will never allow effective immigration either way.

If they did, how could they keep abusing the average US taxpayers and the Mexican poor while maintaining their profit margin?

If you have watched this for any length of time, they will reveal their devious and greedy natures.

Support Mexico in their May 8th March for a Peaceful and Just Mexico. They are demonstrating against the war on drugs, narco violence, and government corruption.

If you ever think your way to the truth about the elites' abuse of both "you and them", we can stop it.

http://twopesos-protestfortheundocumented.blogspot.com/2011/04/imagine-two-countries-saying-estamos.html

http://www.watchnewspapers.com/view/full_story/10513105/article-Former-Border-Patrol-Agent-Confronts-His-Past-With-Music?instance=local_news

[Delaware Bob]

All I keep hearing is comprehensive immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform. How about some comprehensive ENFORCEMENT reform to get the illegal aliens out of this country?

These people who want amnesty for these illegal aliens better think about chain migration if amnesty is ever granted. This INVASION of the 20 million illegal aliens and amnesty is giving our Country away. Do you really want a third world country? I DON’T!

Get the illegal aliens out of this country and back to their own country where they belong with their families. What is it you don't understand about the word ILLEGAL?

[Jedo]

What a horribly one-sided panel by American University. It's hilarious that there was a "moderator" -- why do you need one when everyone on the panel is on the same team?

The DREAM Act was for adults up to age 35. It's failed nearly a dozen times since 2001.

Americans have said NO TO AMNESTY a million times. Let's stop wasting time and money trying to make it happen. Enforce the law, and the problem is solved.

[commonsense]

As usual, an angelic sounding title by politicians misleads on the actual content of the Dream Act. In actuality:

1. The DREAM Act is NOT limited to children, and it will be funded on the backs of hard working, law-abiding Americans.

2. The DREAM Act PROVIDES SAFE HARBOR FOR ANY ALIEN, including criminals, from being removed or deported if they simply submit an application.

3. Certain criminal aliens will be eligible for amnesty under the DREAM Act.

4. Estimates suggest that at least 2.1 million illegal aliens will be eligible for the DREAM Act amnesty. In reality, we have no idea how many illegal aliens will apply.

5. Illegal aliens will get in-state tuition benefits.

6. The DREAM Act does not require that an illegal alien finish any type of degree (vocational, two-year, or bachelor’s degree) as a condition of amnesty.

7. The DREAM Act does not require that an illegal alien serve in the military as a condition for amnesty, and there is already a legal process in place for illegal aliens to obtain U.S. citizenship through military service.

8. Despite their current illegal status, DREAM Act aliens will be given all the rights that legal immigrants receive — including the legal right to sponsor their parents and extended family members for immigration.

9. Current illegal aliens will get federal student loans, federal work study programs, and other forms of federal financial aid.

10. DHS is prohibited from using the information provided by illegal aliens whose DREAM Act amnesty applications are denied to initiate their removal proceedings or investigate or prosecute fraud in the application process.

When intellectual honesty is engaged in these debates and discussions on how to reform our immigration policy, then we might get somewhere. Until then, these trojan horse policies and legislation will be exposed and continue to render the credibility of those politicians and supporters as bankrupt.

[Brittanicus]

Why is the "Rule of Law" not adequate for the Liberal Czarists in the Obama administration, but they can intimidate the State of Arizona by dragging them to court. It seems remote that this legally correct for UTAH, to enact its own Guest worker program. Utah will be noticeably joining the other Sanctuary States of California and Nevada. These two states have high illegal alien concentrations and out-of-control State general public deficits. California is drowning in a Gov. Jerry Brown’s massive 26 billion dollar debt, followed by Senator Harry Reid's Nevada with roughly $3 Billion. Reid was the perpetrator who eroded E-Verify, the illegal immigrant electronic business verification system; stripping E-Verify of its mandate. How many more States will be overrun by millions of illegal immigrants, running from the restrictive States of Arizona, claiming they have no need to halt the encroachment?

Hopefully, I do hope the citizens and legal residents, who will be financially harmed, will throw out the lawmakers who decided to do nothing? As they did in California and Nevada, who are now paying a heavy penalty, as even more economic foreigners start stealing jobs, compliments of dishonest businesses and then applying for public benefits with stolen ID. Then all the children of illegal parents crowding into school classrooms, and whole extended families filling up seats in the hospital emergency rooms will be slowed to a dribble. The story is the same throughout this country and the only hope we have to not prolong this sick carnival is by joining the nearest TEA PARTY. We must rid ourselves of Liberal, Democrats and Republicans who stealthily would arrange amnesties, behind the public’s back. There are many good Presidential candidates who have the TEA PARTY agenda at heart, which will rid us of this unconscionable epidemic of this alien invasion.

Foothold children to a large extent exhaust the social welfare programs in the US. This is serious intent to legally enter America in near full term of pregnancy, so the birthright law comes into effect. The anchor baby has now a nationwide term, defining an offspring of an illegal immigrant or other non-citizen, who under current legal interpretation becomes a United States citizen at birth; the law is ruthlessly used in apply for welfare programs. The female if allowed staying, gets even more benefits, when they become pregnant again, and again and again. This insures cash payments, food stamps, Wicca and federal Section 8 housing that shortly the whole extended family moves to.

In one year Parkland Memorial Hospital Dallas, the second busiest maternity ward in the United States, 70% of the women giving birth were illegal aliens. That added up to 11,200 babies for which Medicaid kicked in 34.5 million dollars to deliver these babies, the feds another 9.5 million and Dallas taxpayers tossed in 31.3 million. The sheer numbers are phenomenal. In Stockton, California (2003), 70 percent of the 2,300 babies, born in San Joaquin General Hospital’s maternity ward were foothold babies. FAIR estimates there are about 363,000 children are born to illegal aliens each year. It’s a must read the report in a Pdf file "Illegal Aliens and American Medicine." Just Google the whole text.

This nation is crippled by entitlement programs, which has escalated the national deficit to 14.5 trillion dollars. Thanks to decades of uncontrolled spending, we can no longer afford the money expended on the world, or illegal immigrants flocking here. Billions go every year to foothold children, brought into America by poor families in every corner of each hemisphere. The costs must be reversed now, not later as we are heading to a monetary swamp, where America’s credit will be further downgraded by Standard and Poor. Before we reach the debt ceiling, we must force on our reluctant politicians cuts in discretionary spending and every niche of the ever growing government agencies. Many could be merged with others federal entities and all pseudo offices could be closed down. The country is broke and we are fighting wars for other countries.

We should open up new drilling areas, including Anwar, Alaska. I'm only one of millions of moderate Conservatives who demand not being dictated to by environmentalist who have overwhelmed sane citizens, enforcing such laws as the endangered Species Act. Relocate the wild creatures along the border, or places where they can drill for precious oil. Give Communist China, Mexico an ultimatum that they play by the free trade agreement rules or the TEA PARTY leaders will renegotiate them. Whatever issue is involved such as Oil, Free trade treaties it smells of corruption, lobbyists Campaign Contributions and favors.