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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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This should make it easier for the young illegals: Put your name on the list to delay deportation while Obama is Pres and then if he isnt re-elected they will know they are at the top of the deportation list should the next Pres decide to deport them or, they can continue to hide and hope they wont be discovered but if they are found then they will be deported. The only other option should be that after high school graduation they volunteer for and complete military service. No reason they should be exempted since they are illegals whether they wanted to be or not. They have already gained a free education and lived in the USA and enjoyed life here. Now is the time they truly need to show they wish to become an American citizen and become legal at the same time. I see no reason they deserve a college education before their compulsory military service (or even alternate civilian service of the same duration). Tough but fair. I didnt have to enter the army but I volunteered and gave 4 years in Vietnam during the war. I am a better person for that service too so - Illegal young people, sign up for military service to prove your worth.
This move doesn't make any sense at unless these newly allowed immigrants are allowed to vote also, chances are most of them already have fake ID's and Socials along with their parents, so maybe they are already voting.
There has to be a reason why Obama made the choice to do this, the Latino community would vote for him any ways, only a certain amount of them are republicans, a lot of which are in my area. but for Obama to do this when unemployment is so high amongst legal Americans to now say, hey what few jobs there are in the market, can now go to this selected group of illegal immigrants, yeah that should go over real well with the American public, when American sons and daughters are not able to find work it appears that our President doesn't really care much about the lower and middle class Americans, If this is what he thinks of us, why would any American vote for him? He seems to care more about everyone else instead of Americans. Remember when you go to the voting booth, our President on his own without congress, said to the American people, this political move is more important to him than your son or daughter finding employment by making an UNKNOWN number of people eligible to work on OUR nation. If you vote for this guy, you will have the Dream Act next, so the sons and daughters of Americans will have less and less chance at an education and in the job market. Vote for anybody but Obama.
there is no real problem once the term ILLEGAL is understood.They have no right to BE HERE.SEND THEM BACK to where they came from.
While sending them back to WHERE THEY CAME FROM also send our ILLEGAL PRESIDENT BAMMA BACK WHERE HE CAME FROM.You know that country called KENYA.
Us Latinos know when we are getting "played"...Obama had three and one-half years to do something...anything, about immigration reform; and, he has chosen to use it as a pathetic way to draw our attention away from the real problem facing our country... his administration's economic policies have led us down a terrible pathway...
It's time to let someone else run our country... we just can't afford another four years, with Obama at the helm...
No matter what you think this goverment will do what it wants, if you think our votes count i hate to tell you they don't. I have seen many times that one group says one thing and the other group says the other. Why don't we defend this country first and then deal with the other one's later. in the story it says there are 11.2 millon illigals in the US as of 2010. I got 2 questions one how do you get that number if you can't do a census count. and 2 can the goverment in both Democratic-led House and the Republican-led Senate do what the swor to do when they took the same oath as the prez and thats isdefend against any any threat both foreign and domestic.
i belive if we as american's don't start letting out leaders in washington know that we are not going to stand here and let these people come here and take jobs and leach off systems that are for people who earned and have the right to use them ie:people who came here leagly or anyother way. then what message are we sending to the people we are trying to kill us for no reason other then we don't belive the same things they do
i know i ramble but if you have read this far then let me be clear on one thing, i am not blaming the kids for coming to this country illegally, they just wanted to be with there family. what i am saying is they are now old enought to know what is right and wrong and they should return to there origanl points of origan with our goverments promies to make there application for a green card or visa or whatever a speedier prosses not just give them a pass. Even if you do they still won't have to pay taxes on things like working or land cuz they cant own any land as an american people with the pass we would still be supporting them then as we are now with them being illegal, where is our thanks for letting them be in our schools and hospitals and not having to pay what they are owned like all of us have over there lifetimes.
just a few thoughts from a 33 year old third generation desendant of an immigrant who went threw hell and back to come to this country legaly and now i am paying for 11.2 million+ illegals i say no thank you get you stuff in gear washington and relize who you work for and its no one but the UNITED STATES TAXPAYERS, remeber we pay your salerys and let you live and work basicly rent free, Not some nation where they produce oil or anything else but the famous usa the last mind you remaining superpower from the world wars, if you think we will stay that way it won't be for long if stuff like this keeps going unchecked
Sure you are fed up, You been black, irish and a host of others. Here is a lesson for you. Those policies that allowed you to enter this country was to help break up unions workers in the west and southwest portions of this country. You helped them accomplish this. Now the can't afford you cause what they wanted is done and too many of you came and had children here. Now the can't afford you and don't want you here. See you took far more from the system than the state and local union workers. So being mad at Obama isn't the answer. Be mad at those who promised you the jobs and mad at yourselves for taking them without knowing the reason for this gift.
omg stop stop stop send them all back
And a vote for the next new President in November, which hopefully will not be Obama, will rescind this illegal order. Obama cannot pick and choose which federal laws he will enforce and which ones he won't just so he can get a vote. The next thing you know he will be releasing murderers and rapists early from prison just so he can get their vote too--if it were possible. This administration has not followed the law of the land on deporting illegals in this country because they simply do not comprehend the meaning of the word "illegal". There is another reason too that I won't go into right now. They have no respect for the laws of this country if they do not mean an advantage for the administration--like votes. As much as I am not a Republican, I hope Obama is kicked out of office in November. This country cannot abide not only him but just a President who does not enforce the laws of the US and just uses them for his on personal gain. That is disgusting and shows he is not out for the betterment of the United States--just Obama. This policy needs to be rescinded and fast and I hope when our new President is elected, it is the first thing on his agenda. Obama just needs to go and we need to re-estabish our democracy instead of a socialist government like he is trying to turn the US into.
While there are numerous thing I like about this administration - one thing stands out that I absolutley respect about President Obama.
He has addressed the most formidable problems and issues facing America.
Health care was screwed up...he tried to fix it.
Energy is screwed up...he tried to fix it.
Immigration is screwed up...he's trying to fix it.
Whether or not his solutions are valid and good are open to debate; However I admire his attempts to change and level the playing field for the majority of America.
Without a doubt the last administration put their heads in the sand and avoided any possible solutions.
What you seem to respect about the President, is the exact opposite of how I feel.
As for health care, they didn't try to fix it, they tried to take it over and control it. in the end when it was completely messed up, then they were going to completely take it over as government run health care, but only the care they want to give you, that is why the exempted themselves, never trust a politicians that write into a law that it doesn't apply to them! This is also something that should have never existed, the congress and senators are just American citizens like the rest of us, they need to start acting like it.
Energy Policy, what energy policy ?? I would like to know what if anything the president has does for energy, oh I guess you can say that he has wasted billions and billions of our taxpayer dollars on green energy wind and solar can only assist existing power plants. So what has he done about the rising gas prices, nothing because that is what he wants, before Obama was sworn in, On Dec 15th 2008 I paid $1.79 per gallon, and that was in California when gas is taxed and then taxed again. The money wasted we can never get back, it's gone, he might as well have just burned it in a pile, we got nothing for it. What about the Keystone pipeline to Texas, he talks about our dependence on middle east oil, but he doesn't like Canada either, but that is not the reason, he wants the high gas prices, he wants the high energy costs, he wants more and more of you to become dependent on the government. yeah he has done a great job with energy.
Immigration, Immigration is not screwed up, it is not enforced, there is a difference, if it was enforced then there would be anything to fix, I include past Presidents in this one, but if we do not secure our border, which it is not, this is just a rouse to get VOTES. I want all Americans to think about this, if you have a son or daughter or both, how does adding an unknown amount of illegals to the legal job market help your son, daughter or family member? There are so few jobs available so lets add 800,000 or more to the pool, so much for caring about American families, as long as he gets his votes, I guess it's Ok with you.
I take it our votes will cancel each other, but I can live with that
What a slap in the face to those who applied for, studied and put forth the time, energy and effort to PROUDLY become naturalized citizens!
Twenty GOP Senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, have sent a letter to Pres. Barack Obama looking for answers to several pressing questions regarding the administration's new plan to offer an Executive Amensty to certain illegal aliens.
The Senators wrote:
"We are extremely concerned by your announcement last week that the Department of Homeland Security plans to implement a program that grants deferred action to an untold number of illegal immigrants ... Not only do we question your legal authority to act unilaterally in this regard, we are frustrated that you have intentionally bypassed Congress and the American people."
As President, you swore to uphold and defend the Constitution and enforce the laws. Your recently announced directive runs contrary to that responsibility.
The full letter:
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/about/upload/061920123.pdf
"We are also concerned that the directive being implemented allows individuals under the age of 30 to obtain a work authorization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for young adults aged 16-24 has been nearly 17% for the last year.
According to a Gallup poll conducted in April of this year, 32% of 18 to 29 year-olds in the U.S. workforce were underemployed.
Your directive runs contrary to the premist that American workers must come before foreign nationals. It is astonishing that your administration would grand work authorizations to illegal immigrants during this time of record unemployment."
http://www.gallup.com/poll/154553/One-Three-Young-Underemployed.aspx
If they were brought here illegally by their parents how did they get id's and SS#'s (last I knew you needed both to get into school and/or get a job) so the parents compounded the problem with stealing or buying id's. We need to secure the borders and get a prez with a set -- the current WH occupant's are in Michelle's purse. It's time to fight for America, obviously we can't get O to fight for anything but the latinos and it's strickly for pandering to their vote -- ours don't seem to count but he loves the taxpayers money!
Raddave said "Well here is one Liberal, who is a gun owner and served 26 in the military. How come it is the "conservatives" that are the chicken hawks, who "support the troops" but never bothered to actually serve?"
REALLY???? My father served in the Navy (he lied about his age and enlisted at 17) WWII, my brother served in the navy -- Vietnam, my brother-in-law -- Coast Guard ALL conservatives (you know the group that is for responsibility and accountability) so you're arguement doesn't hold water. Nice way to talk about the military for someone that SUPPOSEDLY served.
Why doesn't anyone understand the reason our economy is in such a state is due to the illegals, they come here have dozens of children..take advantage of the benefits which are suppose to be for legal americans. Food stamps and food banks are completly over whelmed by the number of illegals supported by these programs...it should be for the legal americans that have paid in for generations. Welfare benefits given to those who say there spouse is not living with them.....childcare benefits, housing benefits etc.........Not to mention the crime that comes along with all the illegals, jailing them, feeding them, court costs, over crowding of jails and prisons and then their families get benefits due to that.......
Now everything in america has to have spanish and english on it. Half of americans can't get a job unless they speak spanish....and people wonder why Obama supports these illegals???? Due to the vote....who can even say that the ones who vote are even legal??????? It wouldn't be the first time they had forged documents and identification......
Wait till we have a Spanish president--you do not want to be White when that happens-or Black. We'll learn the true meaning of discrimination, even the libs may catch on by then. Well, I wouldn't say that.
What a great way to find all the illegal immigrants and round them up for deportation! Obama is doing this illegally and he knows it. It has not been approved by Congress and Congress is the one that writes the laws. The President can only enforce the laws and not re-write the rules. So let these illegal immigrants pay the $465 fee, That is about the cost of a ticket back to their home country.