Children of illegal immigrants who meet certain conditions are now able to apply for deferred action which, while not permanent, gives 2 years of reprieve from deportation .
According to the Washington Post:
The Obama administration kicked off one of the most sweeping changes in immigration policy in decades Wednesday, accepting applications from young illegal immigrants for the temporary right to live and work openly in the United States without fear of deportation.
An estimated 1.7 million young people who arrived in the United States illegally as children could qualify for the new Department of Homeland Security program, and thousands are expected to pay the $465 application fee for a “deferred action” permit that would protect them from deportation for at least two years. Many began lining up earlier this week at their native countries’ embassies and consulates to get passports and other records needed to apply.
Immigrants have waited for final details of the plan in the two months since President Obama pledged to brush aside years of congressional stalemate over the Dream Act and grant de facto residency to qualified immigrants.
On Tuesday, officials surprised advocacy groups by posting the application forms online one day early. Advocates across the country planned workshops Wednesday for hundreds of immigrants eager to learn who will qualify and how to apply.
Harry Reid had the following to say about the goals of this initative:
“Starting today, this process will allow law enforcement to dedicate their efforts to going after violent criminals and those who pose risks to our national security, while preserving opportunity for thousands of young people,” Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement. “This is smart policy that will enhance our nation’s security while removing the specter of deportation that haunts DREAMers.”
Lines reached around the block in most areas as young illegal immigrants lined up to appy for protected status. These applicants had to have been brought to this county before they turned 16 and have to be between 15 and 31. They must have lived in this country for firve continuous years and they cannot have any serious crimes on their their record. Each application costs $465.
The protected status must be reviewed every 2 years. The official name of the initiative is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Immigrants see this as a long awaited victory that brings kids who are here through no fault of their own, out of the shadows.
For some, DACA comes in the nick of time:
For some young immigrants on the verge of being sent out of the country, the program has amounted to a tarmac reprieve. Lawyers say numerous pending deportations have been paused as immigration officials review people’s eligibility for deferred action.
One can only assume that the temporary protection translates into legal status and that these young people can now attend college, get a license and a job that does not exploit them. Critics fear that these immigrants will steal jobs. It should be noted that this is NOT a pathway to citizenship and that no voting rights are part of this reprieve. However, the federal intent is to convey temporary legal status on the immigrants who are not all Latinos.
There is one Cruella in every crowd and according to the Detroit free Press:
In Arizona, which passed one of the nation’s toughest anti-immigration laws, Gov. Jan Brewer signed an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to deny driver’s licenses and other public benefits to illegal immigrants who obtain work authorizations under the program. Brewer said the federal program doesn’t give immigrants legal status, and she’s following the intent of the current state law denying public benefits to them.
I wonder what those other public benefits might be? I don’t believe the DREAMers are allowed to apply for what we would typically consider “welfare” benefits. That’s part of the deal, if I am not mistaken. So what scheme has Jan Brewer concocted to deny them rights? I think I would just move out of Arizona. New Mexico is a nice state. Of course, that was probably what Jan wanted in the first place.
The DACA should improve the lives of many kids who really have been living as people without a country. I wish them well. It’s high time someone came out of the stalemate and lifted decent, hardworking young people out of the shadows.
I have been watching all those political ads that have criticized Romney for outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries while he was at Bain. But the Dream Act is in effect a federally supported program to outsource jobs to foreign nationals who are illegally in the country. My daughter had a horrible time finding an entry-level job this summer, and the Dream Act will make it even harder. With the unemployment rate above 8%, I don’t think Obama should be criticizing companies for out sourcing when he is doing exactly the same thing.
@kelly
One more thing…I think the fact that outsourcing is an American business practice is a bigger deal. I hate it as a consumer. Perhaps there should be tax credits for doing away with the practice in many cases.
Where I have run into the problem is with tech support.
On the other hand, I still buy Apple and Dell. both outsource.
Kelly, many of these kids are in school. Do you want them to sit at home and lead a life of crime? We are talking about kids who are trying to make something out of themselves. You know that their brothers and sisters who were born here have everything open to them.
Do you really think it is American to keep a group of people who were brought here through no fault of their own as second and third class citizens, even though they have behaved themselves and for the most part, studied hard in school?
This opportunity isn’t for the toads and thugs who have caused trouble and lead a life of crime.
The DACA is totally different than outsourcing to foreign companies. Meanwhile, the parents of these kids are your skilled and semi skilled laborers. These are the kids who have grown up here and know no other country. They consider it their country. The only real difference in those kids and my kids is paperwork. They attended the same schools and have the same dreams and asperations.
These are NOT all “kids.” Many are adults that have been here for years. Remember the age window extends into adulthood.
Furthermore, under what power does the President have the authority to undercut established law and make new law?
There are rules about who can and cannot get status adjustment under DACA. Yes, some have been here for years. Doh. That is the freaking point. They were brought here as kids, for the most part and don’t know their country of origin. Kids to me are people 31 and younger. Most are younger.
The details of status adjust adjustment weren’t decreed by Congress. Its all part of policy,
He effectively decreed that the DREAM Act is the law of the land by executive fiat.
Furthermore…how are 29 year olds considered kids?
If this is to be the law of the land, then he should have convinced enough people to vote for it.
At your age, 29 is a kid. At my age 40 is a kid. They were kids when they came here. Your fight is with me, not them. I am the one who called them kids.
Presidents have issued executive orders since the country first formed. Is Obama going to be the only president to not be allowed to issue executive orders?
This is not the Dream Act. It is not permanent.
What do you have against immigrants who have been brought here and who have behaved, done well in school and haven’t broken major laws? I have to seriously ask why the animosity towards this group of people?
I don’t have anything against immigrants. I have something against a President that likes to make law by fiat. I like legal immigrants. I have a problem that the people were allowed to stay here long enough that the family qualifies for this. We’re not enforcing our laws.
And now, Obama has opened the door for MORE incentive to cross the border. He has made it legal for illegal immigrants to find work. Either we have laws on the books that we follow or we don’t.
Presidents have issued executive orders since 1789. Is it just Obama you don’t want to be allowed to govern? Why even have a president if Congress is going to dictate everything.
Has there ever been a president you like? Are those the only executive orders you would allow?
There really is no incentive from this DACA. It certainly doesn’t authorize any kind of thumbs up for future immigrants. One of its attributes is that the person is already here.
Now that we have narrowed it to the fact that you just don’t like Obama….what about all the other executive orders all presidents have issued?
The unemployment rate around here is not nearly 8%. When we are at 3% unemployment, it is considered full employment and employers have trouble finding people to fill the slots. In NVA, the unemployment rate is really quite reasonable. I’m not buying that legalizing these young people will have any effect on all young people finding work. The vast majority of young people that will qualify for this status change live in areas with lower unemployment, because higher levels of immigration generally means a lower unemployment level. (Not every city, but most).
@Moon-howler
What I find to be more un-American is allowing illegal aliens who put their own children in this situation to force a change in the law on society. It is not necessarily the role of society to rescue children from the sins of their parents.
The unemployment rate for young adults between 18-29 is 16.8%, which is the highest rate for that group since WWII. The unemployment rate for the foreign born labor force is about 2 points lower.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-jobless-class-of-2012.html
@Moon-howler
That would depend upon the executive order, now…wouldn’t it? I don’t like THIS ONE. Others…depends. I’d have to see the list.