Hispanic voters key in swing states of Florida Virginia Colorado & Nevada
By Jonathn Easley & Jordy Yager The Hill
President Obama signed an Executive Order Friday to significantly alter U.S. immigration policy to reduce deportations of illegal immigrants who came to the country at a young age.
The politically-charged decision comes as Obama faces a tough reelection fight against Republican Mitt Romney with Hispanic voters in swing states seen as a key swing voting block.
The executive order could allow as many as as 800000 immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally to not only remain in the country without fear of being deported but to work legally according to the Associated Press.
Obama was set to make a statement about the order at 1:15 p.m which Homeland Security Secretary Janey Napolitano announced the new policy Friday morning.
Our nations immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner" Napolitano said in a statement.
But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion which is used in so many other areas is especially justified here."
The new policy will not grant citizenship to childen who came to the U.S. as illegal immigrants but will remove the threat of deportation and will grant them the right to work in the U.S.
Accoding to the Department of Homeland Security the policy change will apply to those who came to the U.S. before they were 16 and who are younger than 30 if they have lived here for five years have no criminal history graduated from a U.S. high school or served in the military.
A memo from Napolitano ordering the prosecutorial discretion with respect to individuals who came to the United States as childen argued
that those covered by the order only know this country as home. It said these people lacked the intent to violate the law.
The nations immigration laws are not designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language the memo said. Indeed many of these young people have already contributed to our country in significant ways. Prosecutorial discretion which is used in so many other areas is especially justified here.
The new policy will apply to individuals who are already in deportation proceedings the memo said.
The law will accomplish portions of the DREAM Act which has stalled in Congress amid Republican opposition. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) a potential vice presidential candidate says he is working on his own version of the DREAM Act but the Democratic version is wildly popular among Hispanics and no legislation from Congress would be expected to pass this year.
Obama has a massive lead over Mitt Romney among Hispanic voters but criticism from immigration activists over the administrations deportation policies has intensified in recent weeks. Earlier this week a government report showed the administrations attempt to cut back on deportations of law-abiding illegal immigrants has had little effect.
Hispanic voters could be key in the swing states of Florida Virginia Colorado and Nevada among other states.
A spokesman for Homeland Security said the department would continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk including immigrants convicted of crimes violent criminals felons and repeat immigration law offenders.
Todays action further enhances the Departments ability to focus on these priority removals the spokesman said.
The National Immigration Law Center an immigration reform advocacy group lauded Obamas announcement on Friday saying it was evidence of his true capacity to lead.
The group then said it was time for Congress to pass the DREAM Act.
President Obama is showing the nation his true capacity to lead by taking the bold and courageous step to remove the fear of deportation and provide dreamers with the legal means to contribute their full potential to society said Marielena Hincapie the executive director for the group.
This announcement provides real and much-needed relief now but it is not enough. President Obama cannot provide these youth with the path to citizenship which would allow DREAMers to participate in all sectors of civil society. We therefore renew our calls to Congress to pass the DREAM Act."
