WASHINGTON — President Obama made an end-run around Congress yesterday to ease enforcement of US immigration laws so young illegal immigrants can remain in the country to work and study without fear of deportation.
Obama said it was “the right thing to do” for people who were brought to the country by no choice of their own but have grown up as our friends and neighbors.
“That we would treat them as expendable makes no sense,” he said in a Rose Garden speech.
“They study in our schools, play in our neighborhoods,” the president said. “They pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their hearts and minds and in every single way but one: on paper.”
Under the new policy, the feds will stop deporting illegal immigrants who are under 30, came to the United States as children, and are otherwise law abiding.
It also lets these illegals apply for a work permit that’s good for two years, with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.
As many as 800,000 undocumented residents in the United States could qualify for this new legal status. In New York City alone, there’s an estimated total of 500,000 illegal immigrants.
“This is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It is not a permanent fix,” Obama said, answering critics who call him soft on illegal immigration.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the plan “is well within the framework of our existing laws.”
“With respect to these young people, deferred action . . . is simply the right thing to do,” she said.
The surprise election-year move will help Obama shore up support among crucial Latino voters, who have been critical of the high number of deportations under his administration.
The policy also scores points by partially achieving goals of the DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted Democratic plan to give young illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they attend college or join the military.
The Obama policy falls short of clearing a citizenship path, but it draws a stark contrast with Mitt Romney, who during the GOP primary fight voiced strong opposition to illegal aliens.
Campaigning in New Hampshire, Romney said that the policy “makes it more difficult to reach that long-term solution,” and that he would rather “see legislation.”
“The status of young people who come here through no fault of their own is an important matter to be considered, and should be solved on a long-term basis so they know what their future would be in this country,” he said.
Democrats lauded the policy for helping kids. Republicans blasted it as election-year pandering.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called it “a politically motivated power grab” that only adds “confusion and uncertainty to our broken immigration system.”
Obama’s announcement was briefly overshadowed by a reporter who, in a break from press-corps decorum, called out questions during the speech.
The reporter from the Daily Caller Web site repeatedly shouted, “Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?”
“Excuse me, sir, it’s not time for questions,” Obama responded sternly, “not while I’m speaking.”
After concluding, he pointed at the reporter and said: “And the answer to your question, sir — and the next time, I prefer you to let me finish my statements before you ask a question — is this is the right thing to do for the American people. I didn’t ask for an argument, I’m answering your question.”
Understanding the new policy
Illegal immigrants qualify if they:
* Came to US before age 16
* Are under 30 years old
* Have continuously resided in US for at least five years preceding the new policy
* Are in school, graduated from high school, earned a GED or were honorably discharged from the US Coast Guard or Armed Forces
* Have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor or multiple misdemeanors or do not pose a threat to national security or public safety
Qualifying illegals would be eligible for:
* Indefinite deferral of deportation from the US
* A two-year work permit
* No limit on number of renewals for work permits