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Subscribe to RSSJose Diaz-Balart of Telemundo discusses the immigration order with MSNBC-TV's Alex Wagner, NBC News' Luke Russert, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet and BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith.
The Obama administration's announcement Friday that it would defer deporting most young illegal immigrants poses a dilemma for those who are eligible, as they must take a leap of faith that they won't jump to the head of the line for deportation if a future president rescinds the order.
Under the order, the Obama administration wouldn't seek to deport illegal immigrants under 30 who entered the U.S. as children and meet certain other residency and education requirements for the next two years. They also would be eligible to apply for work permits, the Department of Homeland Security said. DHS is the parent agency of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The order could apply to as many as 800,000 young illegal immigrants, officials estimated. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, said later that even more immigrants — as many as 1.4 million children and young adults — could meet the eligibility requirements. That would be about 12 percent of the 11.2 million illegal immigrants estimated to be in the U.S. as of 2010.
But it's not at all certain how many of them will seek to take advantage of the order. That's because it requires eligible immigrants to step forward and ask for the deferment every two years.
Even though President Barack Obama said Friday that the order would "lift the shadow of deportation" over illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. while they were children, a future administration could choose to overturn the regulation, jeopardizing those who have identified themselves to the government as illegal immigrants.
A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on the policy Friday on condition of anonymity, conceded that "the executive can always change its mind about how to exercise discretion."
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For Yelky Ramos, 20, a recent college graduate who came from the Dominican Republic when she was 13, the change means she should be able to get a job.
"We just hope that the way they're going to implement it is going to be fair to the undocumented youth and it won't be a trap, in which people will be applying for this type of deferral and then find themselves … (in) legal proceedings that might lead to deportation," Ramos told msnbc.com.
Even before Obama appeared in the White House Rose Garden to discuss the order Friday afternoon, Democratic campaign officials were trying to place responsibility for any such "trap" on Republicans, sending reporters "talking points" highlighting previous statements on immigration by Mitt Romney.
Romney, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, has said he would veto an immigration bill known as the DREAM Act, which would enact many of the policies the White House announced Friday. The measure has passed in the Democratic-led House but has been blocked in the Republican-led Senate.
The memos were meant to get the message out that a vote for Romney — who trails Obama by a significant margin among Latino voters — would be a vote to rescind Friday's order.
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano told NBC News that there was no immediate danger of applicants' being targeted for deportation, saying the order would be binding for the next two years regardless of who is president. That means Romney, if elected in November, could overturn it as early as 2014, however.
Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, praised Obama on Friday for "taking action to avoid further injustices against young people."
But "a legislative remedy is still needed," he said.
Until one emerges, illegal immigrants must meet a narrowly specific set of requirements to be eligible for immunity, which DHS outlined in an eight-page document Friday:
- They must be younger than 30.
- They must have been brought to the U.S. before their 16th birthdays.
- They must have been in the country for five continuous years.
- They must have no criminal history.
- They must have graduated from an American high school, earned an equivalent degree or served in the U.S. military.
- They must pass a government background check.
Read the full DHS document (.pdf)
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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get ready for the MSDNC back pedal.
Monday's headline... What the president meant to say was...
blah, blah, blah
A reporter from the Daily Caller tried to ask President Obama about American workers today and was shot down. You can read his coverage here and here.
A Washington Post reporter also considered the impact the rule would have on struggling Americans (stoy here).
Sadly, most of the rest of the mainstream media ( including MSNBC!) has refused to ask the question that the President doesn't want to answer.
Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly.
Yes, please sign up so that when Romney gets elected and rescinds this order we will know exactly who to start deportation proceedings against right away.
Or even if Obama gets elected lets the two pass expire and then he starts the proceedings to advance his agenda with republicans.
Here is a better idea, go back across the border and apply for citizenship the way so many others have done.
Just more Obama trickle down tyranny! Cannot wait till November to put someone in who maybe thinks about abiding by the laws of the country.
Tricke Down Tryanny is NOT Working!
Romney/? 2012
This is tyranny how? You are absurd.
Real simple: we give you this opportunity and you don't take advantage of it? If you get caught later, you get shipped back to wherever the heck you're from - no sympathy!
Technically, they are all criminals, so none of them qualify. They are here in the U.S. illegally. Obama, you just role me!!!!! What you won't do at the last minute to get a vote. What happened to the days when a presidential candidate wanted to win based on his or her own merit. What happened to integrity!!! What this country runs it's elections on today is down right shameful.
So now, since Obama can't get cooperation from Congress, he will just legislate from the executive office?
This kind of work around ought to be illegal. It subverts all the laws in place if they can arbitrarily be changed by just one man. That's what dictators do.
Whatever happened to the three branches of government? How about checks and balances?
What Obama is trying to do is basically criminal.
Let's not let him get away with this. When he was sworn in, he swore to uphold the laws and the constitution of this country, which he is not doing.
I wonder why it is that those in favor of this can't understand the term, Illegal. It is not difficult to understand if you don't have your head of the donkeys butt.
In due time, the questions of what is a country and why do we have country's will be answered.
"President Obama released his tax returns. It turns out he made $900,000 less in 2011 then he did in 2010. You know what that means? Even Obama is doing worse under President Obama."
Now that is funny, James.....:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Thanks for that.
Its not even Debate time yet and Obummer is really trying to do all he can to alienate voters. Guess all his advisors are stupid, thats why the economy is going nowhere but down.
As a lifelong Republican, I will vote for Obama --- for President of MEXICO!!!
Obama was just trying to clear the way for his own citizenship.
Obama, once again, is dividing in order that he might conquer. In realizing he shed some of his base when Biden forced his hand on the gay marriage issue before he was ready, he is seeking to make that up by pandering to Hispanics by turning a blind eye toward illegal immigration.
This man has not an ounce of character or conviction and is NOT FIT to lead a PTA, let alone a country. Democrat or Republican, you have to be disappointed that he was able to hoodwink so many for so long...
Obvious pretty quickly that Mr. Obama, our president may have made a mis-step in taking this action, one that a year ago he had indicated he could not do alone.
Perhaps he was pressured into this for political expediency without weighing the complexity of doing this and the ramifications it might have?
Get ready for a "What I meant to say was"......?
amazing how odummy pays attention to every thing but whats really going on in this country oh thats right he cant cause first he doesnt have a clue what hes doing and second hes to damn busy getting more money and campaining to run the country wait that wouldnt work either hes already run the country in to the ground in only 3 and a half years just think what he can in 4 and a half more. we can and will be just like the other third world countrys. vote him out unless your as dumb as he is
I love this! I really love to see the horde of tea-baggers on here hating and steamed!
Obama 2012!!
More dung from the donkey, known as D.S.
And the Hordes of soon to be ex-democrats and Independents......Lots of votes to lose Barry.......Cant wait till Airforce one makes that last flight in the sunset in January for barry and his crew, back to Kenya? who knows but Bye........
Gilligan's Island just got a lot more crowded....especially for those seeking employment.....
Gilligan, quick! Figure out how we can blame this on Bush!
This Obama order only stays in effect as long as Obama is President. If he is defeated in November, it becomes mute when the new President is sworn in.
Since Obama's own words condemn him as a failed leader, he has to do something to get votes if he wants to win.
He can't win with his accomplishments; the only one he has is the creation of a never ending, ever growing debt crisis, so you can expect more of the wheeling and dealing over the next 4.5 months to try and buy his reelection.
Its really sad for the Democratic party that he's the best they can come up with.
“President Obama is a personal friend of mine. He was over to the house yesterday, but the mop broke.”
The Illegal immigrants must have no criminal history. Democrat logic for you!
I will repeat this for eternity, I guess, but here it is... a person who enters the U.S. without inspection is committing a civil violation, not a criminal one.
Moreover, you have to demonstrate intent to commit a violation. Praytell, but what kind of intent does a MINOR CHILD have to commit a civil violation to enter the U.S. without inspection?
I find it really amazing that neither Pelosi or Reid have had much to say lately. Wonder why? Any comments?
it's called... distancing
I was actually thinking the same thing, James
Even Bill Clinton isn't getting along with Obama these days
Should work as the H1B VISA to help exert downward pressure on wages, now along with the H1B's from India doing the high paying, high skilled work for half the starting wages of a legal American Citizen you can getthe young Mexicans for for half. I bet the Wall Street and Corporate types love this.
I did not know Obama was Allah!
Hang hussein obama and his staff in the public square for treason and send the ILLEGALS back home ! Start using Mexicos immigrant policy and punish people who break OUR laws !
Well.. how are we supposed to teach the next generation about the importance of adhereing to established laws when we have a President who so easily by-passes them? Weather you are an illegal immgrant or not, how do you excuse circumventing defined laws that you feel may be "obstructive" to your general reputation not to mention your campaign. I can understand wanting to solve immigration problems, but how is that accomplished under a leader who always seems to skirt around the hard questions and come up with solutions that best fits an over-inflated ego? That's not really running a country, it's more like running a circus.