By Christi Parsons and Kathleen Hennessey, Tribune Washington Bureau –
WASHINGTON — President Obama has ordered his administration to stop deporting young immigrants who came to the U.S. as young children and who do not pose a security threat, senior administration officials said Friday morning.
Effective immediately, young immigrants who arrived before they turned 16 will be allowed to apply for work permits as long as they have no criminal history and meet a series of other criteria, officials said.
The change comes at crucial moment in a presidential campaign that will turn in part on who wins over Latino voters.
Republican leaders, including GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have argued for greater efforts to identify and deport anyone living in the U.S. illegally — including those who have lived and worked here for years, not just those found guilty of committing crimes.
Since securing his party’s nomination, some within the GOP have urged Romney to take a softer approach. But he has not yet taken a stance on more lenient proposals aimed at accommodating concerns of young people.
Obama has called for a broad overhaul of immigration policy and embraces the concept of Dream Act legislation, which would create a legal way for immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children to stay in the country.
The change the administration is announcing today would allow illegal immigrants under the age of 30 to stay and work in the country if they don’t pose a national security or public safety risk.
Disqualified from application would be immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons and repeat offenders of immigration law.
Those who show that they meet the criteria will be eligible to apply for deferred action on deportation for a period of two years. That status will be renewable, one official said.
They will also be able to apply for authorization to work.
Under the new rules, eligible individuals would have to meet a series of requirements in order to apply. They must have come to the U.S. before they turned 16 and must have resided in the U.S. continuously for at least five years.
They must be present in the U.S. right now, and be enrolled in school, hold a high school diploma or GED or serve in the U.S. military. Veterans who have been honorably discharged would also be eligible.
They cannot be convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense or more than one misdemeanor, or for some other reason pose a security or safety threat.
Obama plans to discuss the announcement in the Rose Garden later Friday.
What a way to circumvent laws on the books. I am thinking our Legislative Branch can, and should revoke this, or it should be challenged in a court of law.
Our Founders did not create a system of governance that was meant to be decided by fiat, but within the bounds of the three branches.
This kind of action threatens our Constitution, and thereby, our way of life. Democrat or Republican, or Independent, it should deeply concern you at the very least.
I am more angry at the American People for not standing up against,
TYRANNY!
By definition Obama is a Tyrant.
Tyranny: arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
A DICTATOR now governs the United States!
We have had a coup and the citizens of this country are acting like sheep. Are we really this powerless? Have our rights and freedoms been so removed that we have to stand for this.
I actually agree with the concept of what President Obama has proposed. What I don’t agree with is the way he has done this. This kind of far sweeping change should only be implemented by a vote of our Government making it law.
President Obama has just said:
I AM YOUR DICTATOR-I AM YOUR KING
I WILL DO ANYTHING I DAM WELL PLEASE.
I am so mad at myself for voting for this madman.
I AM ALSO MAD AS HELL AT YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS DICTATOR – THE U.S. IS NOW A DICTATORSHIP ! Plain & simple – the LIBERAL DICTATORS HAVE ILLEGALLY TAKEN OVER THE U.S. Run for the hills AMERICANS – or should we now call ourselves
MEXI-MERICANS as they ( illegals) are sucking our financial system dry and forcing the U.S. into bankruptcy just like Greece & Europe! THE U.S. IS HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION and GOD help us all if “Indonesian born Obama” is re-elected!
I voted for change, not CHAINS.
Obama tricked the American People. I was not alone.
The left wing loons took over the Democratic Party. The Establishment took over the Republican Party and I know John McCain was a liberal. You would call him a Progressive.
This election one can only hope that Romney get’s elected AND he don’t also turn out to be a Progressive liberal.
Some day when the Tea Party and Occupy people realize they have more to gain by joining forces and support the Constitution we will start nominating candidates that are truly for the good of America and not special interests.
Don’t stay mad or you will be mad a long time. :-)))
By the way, Larry, until we find a better way to communicate with the American People then through the media and agree on some baseline principles to nominate a true representative that will govern only by Consensus, I don’t have all that much hope!
As President, this goof ball has oversteped his authority. Obama can’t do this by executive order. Congress has already voted on this and it didn’t pass.
My guess is that Obama will get sued on this and it will go to court. But yes, this is just a desprate ploy to get votes, this guy knows he is in big trouble in this election. He is throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. He can’t run on his record because there is nothing but bad news there.
I cannot believe this crap. Obama needs to be deported HIMSELF. He is the worst president in the history of the US!
I just love working so I can pay for all the Obama dead beats who know how to work the system. He is the worst president ever. And that’s coming from a life long democrat. Lets just give everyone a free ride.
The Liberal Machine is desperate – well now lets just make all “illegals” citizens so they can vote for the “Welfare King” or should I refer to him as the “Savior” . 47% of those living in America are dependent upon the Government to sustain themselves, and the SOCIALIST LEADERSHIP feeds off of this because those 47% will support him in the next election for fear of having some of their “freebies” taken away ! It’s past due—- slam the hammer down on the leeches sucking off of the U.S. TAXPAYER ! Welfare abuse is passed down from generation to generation to generation ! TIME TO REORGANIZE THE U.S. WELFARE SYSTEM !
This guy will stop at nothing to get re-elected. I hope the majority of voters wake up this year and give him the boot. I’m tired of his hope and change crap that none of us can afford any longer.
Tired of illegals getting a free ride, I don’t care how long they have been here or at what age they came. Either follow the immigration laws and become a naturalized citizen or ship em out.
But, Obama is grasping for all the little votes he can get. The blacks an latino vote could carry him through because more of them will vote then the middle class white people will.
Obama is trying his best to turn this country into a socialist country. Why should be have to pay for all these illegals benefits when we have citizens that are struggeling to get health care and work? Time to slam the door shut on the free ride.
He is a communists who did this just to try to get the latino vote. He is misadvised here as there are a lot of legal latino’s who do not want the illegal’s here in this country. They get the bad rap evertime one of the illegal’s pull some crap. They are here illegally, send them home.
Okay, I’ll start this off.
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT AFRAID TO MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS, EVEN IN AN ELECTION YEAR. He’s a true leader and is trying desperately to make this country better.
And for all of you who think he did this just to capture the Latino vote, think again. He’ll probably LOSE more of the white, middle class votes than he’ll gain in Latino votes.
You are wrong!
He has already lost the working class, middle class vote!
This was purely an illegal political move.
Lets hear it for losing the white, middle class votes! RAH RAH RAH and for losing the election. Oh, I forgot, he’ll buy the presidency like he did the last time. Stupid people contributing. Whishing evil for their offspring as they will be the ones to suffer.