President Barack Obama is reportedly set on using executive actions to give temporary amnesty to nearly 7 million more illegal immigrants in America this year, including the parents of illegal immigrant children.
According to National Journal, in a meeting with pro-amnesty activists last week, “Obama made it clear he would press his executive powers to the limit” and “gave quiet credence to recommendations from La Raza and other immigration groups that between 5 million to 6 million adult illegal immigrants could be spared deportation under a similar form of deferred adjudication he ordered for the so-called Dreamers in June 2012.”
At least 670,000 illegal immigrants received temporary amnesty and work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Obama has reportedly “now ordered the Homeland Security and Justice departments to find executive authorities that could enlarge that non-prosecutorial umbrella by a factor of 10.”
Senior officials told National Journal that “Obama wants to see what he can do with executive power to provide temporary legal status to undocumented adults” and “will shift Immigration Control and Enforcement resources from the interior to the border to reduce deportations of those already here and to beef up defenses along the border.” That means illegal immigrants who are already in the country who are not violent criminals are likely not to be deported, which may give migrants from Central America more incentive just to get across the border.
National Journal reported that Obama also said that “presidents must send the message that you can’t just show up on the border, plead for asylum or refugee status, and hope to get it,” but the White House may be doing exactly that by vowing to not rescind DACA. Those who received DACA can renew their status for another two years in September without an age cap. Those who were not 16 in 2012 but are now can apply for the first time, which means more illegal immigrants will get temporary amnesty this summer even if Obama doesn’t enact any executive actions.
The flood of illegal immigrants from Central America has drastically increased after Obama enacted DACA by executive fiat.
As the Christian Science Monitor noted, “during the decade preceding fiscal year 2012, the federal government agency tasked with caring for unaccompanied minors who cross the border illegally dealt with an average of 7,000 to 8,000 cases a year.” In fiscal year 2011, there were 6,560, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The year after Obama enacted DACA, “the number jumped to 13,625,” and “at least 50,000 have entered illegally since October of last year. Officials estimate at least 150,000-160,000 more will try next year.”
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