Immigration Reform News 2014: Executive Action Urged by Coalition of Immigrants Right Groups
A coalition of grassroots, labor, faith, legal and advocacy groups wrote to President Obama on Friday to strongly oppose any delay in executive action for administration relief for immigrants.
The letter's authors wrote, "Every day, more than 1,100 immigrants are separated from their families and their communities because of deportations. And despite assurances from your administration, immigrant workers and their families continue to live in fear of employer retaliation and intimidation, as well as racial profiling and excessive use-of-force by Department of Homeland Security agents who continues to abuse, arrest, detain, and deport our family members and loved ones. Any delay in announcement of administrative relief for aspiring Americans only compounds the suffering, changes ... are already long overdue."
President Obama announced in June he was willing to issue an executive order because of inaction by Congress. The U.S. Senate did introduce immigration reform legislation, which passed in June.
The Republican-led House introduced their own bill, HR 5230, a border supplemental bill with language making it easier to deport Central American children, and HR 5272, which would have ended the President's DACA program. Those bills passed just before the August recess, but they will be unacceptable to the Senate after Congress reconvenes.
In August, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest stated a presidential executive action could come in September, but reports suggest there will be a delay until after the November elections due to six vulnerable Democratic seats in the Senate.
"We certainly care about the livelihoods and futures of Latino people who are caught in the limbo because of the immigration process -- that is our number one priority. We understand that politicians will have their reasons for doing what they do. We have been very disappointed with what the House failed to do with regards to immigration, and we would very disappointed if that spills into this calculation when determining whether or not to move forward with administrative relief for our community," Luis Torres, Director of Policy and Legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens told Latin Post.
Torres said LULAC is not a political organization but a civil rights organization. "I think we need to remember here we are talking about real human beings who are affected every day because of the broken immigration system. We are not talking about political calculations, and it is unfortunate that has become a part of this conversation recently. If there are people looking at the political calculations, I would suggest they look at the long term implications of turning their backs on the fastest growing segment of the population and how that will be felt. We have Latinos being elected in record numbers, our community is coming out to vote in record numbers, it increases every single year. I think making short term calculation would be a severe mistake."
Over half a million DACA requests have been approved, according to the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service. Most of the applicants are from Latin American countries, notably Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, but immigrants from Indian, Pakistan and South Korea have also applied.
The letter was issued at the same time that 136 immigration laws experts from 32 states wrote to the President informing him of his powers to enact executive action.
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