Louisiana immigrants who have yet to become citizens may be unable or unwilling to do so due to the complicated citizenship process. The estimated 11 million immigrants that live in the United States illegally deal with an ongoing fear of deportation. Fortunately for them, President Obama has taken steps to help protect non-citizens in this country. The President is using his executive powers to enact change in US immigration law while immigration reform has been put on hold in Congress.
An immigration bill, which was recently passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, attempts to give the illegal immigrants in this country a way to become legal citizens. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives, however, has refused to consider the bill until the country’s borders are secured.
With immigration matters at a standstill, Obama has taken matters into his own hands. The President has made an effort to stop the deportation of illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since they were children. He is also working to protect those who care for children and have stayed out of trouble. His latest efforts permit illegal immigrants who are relatives of U.S. military members to stay in the country. Despite the President’s efforts, deportations have increased to 400,000 people a year during his presidency. However, this increase does not apply to all categories of immigrants.
Obama’s actions have caused a great deal of controversy on both sides of the immigration issue. Those in favor of immigration think that the President should do more to help. Those who are opposed say that Obama is violating the Constitution by choosing which laws to enforce. While the President has repeatedly acknowledged that he does not have the authority to prevent all deportations, he is arguably doing what he can to deal with immigration challenges in this country.
Source: The Kansas City Star, “Obama is using executive power to affect immigration law,” Anita Kumar, Jan. 14, 2014