Often touted as a champion of immigrants' rights, President Obama truly disappointed the immigrant population, advocacy groups, and the nation at large when he announced that he would not pursue any executive actions to jumpstart immigration reform until after Congress' November elections.
Given the President's track record in utilizing his executive power to provide relief for undocumented foreign nationals - most notably the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that he implemented in June 2012 - the President's decision to delay further action has greatly disappointed immigration advocates. Many advocates have taken to social media to express their displeasure at the President's decision, stating that he has "thrown the Latino community under the bus" and that he is putting political concerns over humanitarian issues.
Immigration opponents are also castigating the President for "playing politics" with the admittedly hot button immigration issue. For example, Congressman Lamar Smith (Republican - Texas) stated that the President's decision reveals itself to be "an open admission" that the President intends to go against what the majority of Americans want with regards to immigration policy, once the mid-term elections are over.
The news is even more surprising considering that in June 2014, the President vowed that he would take it upon himself to execute independent executive action to move immigration reform forward by the end of the summer, since the House of Representatives had failed to move on its own reform legislation in the wake of the Senate passing a bill last summer. However, even back then, Democratic candidates who may struggle to hold their seats in traditionally Republican states come November, such as Senator Mark Pryor (Democrat - Arkansas) and Senator Mary Landrieu (Democrat - Louisiana), took steps to distance themselves from the President on this issue by publicly affirming that he should not utilize executive power to institute amnesty for the undocumented foreign national population.
According to the media, the President was pressured to delay taking action on immigration from fellow Democrat Congresspersons who are worried that doing so would create a Republican backlash that would cost some Democrats their re-election victories in November. In response, the President's officials argued that Republicans had effectively tied the President's hands by extremely politicizing the immigration issue.
It is certainly disheartening to learn of yet another delay in the process towards passing comprehensive immigration reform. Millions of undocumented foreign nationals who have been contributing to this country for years are still waiting in limbo as Congress and the President continue to disagree on what is to be done to address the broken system and the humanitarian crisis at the border.
While the nation's lawmakers have effectively put immigration reform on the backburner until November, foreign nationals continue to wonder what their immigration options are for staying in the United States. If you or a loved one has been put into removal proceedings, or you are afraid you will be because you are in the U.S. without authorization, you must examine all of your options for preventing deportation. Contact our office today at 650-293-0270 to speak to an immigration attorney who can help you with your case.
Additional Blog Posts
ACLU Sues U.S. Government Over Voluntary Departure, Silicon Valley Immigration Lawyer Blog, June 7, 2013
Let's Put USCIS Forms in the Post Office, Silicon Valley Immigration Lawyer Blog, March 1, 2012