Obama Promises Immigration Reform at the NALEO
President Obama Speaks on Immigration Announcement
President Obama Speaks on Immigration Announcement
Deferred Action Process for Young People
Napolitano Announces Deferred Action
Release Date: June 15, 2012
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that effective immediately, certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.
“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner,” said Secretary Napolitano. “But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.”
DHS continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons, and repeat immigration law offenders. Today’s action further enhances the Department’s ability to focus on these priority removals.
Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case by case basis:
- Came to the United States under the age of sixteen;
- Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
- Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
- Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
- Are not above the age of thirty.
Only those individuals who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action. Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding today’s date. Deferred action requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. DHS cannot provide any assurance that all such requests will be granted. The use of prosecutorial discretion confers no substantive right, immigration status, or pathway to citizenship. Only the Congress, acting through its legislative authority, can confer these rights.
While this guidance takes effect immediately, USCIS and ICE expect to begin implementation of the application processes within sixty days. In the meantime, individuals seeking more information on the new policy should visit USCIS’s website (at www.uscis.gov), ICE’s website (atwww.ice.gov), or DHS’s website (at www.dhs.gov). Beginning Monday, individuals can also call USCIS’ hotline at 1-800-375-5283 or ICE’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024 during business hours with questions or to request more information on the forthcoming process.
For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and have been offered an exercise of discretion as part of ICE’s ongoing case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal.
For more information on the Administration policy reforms to date, please see this fact sheet.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on June 15, 2012.
Reid to take up immigration June or November
US Senate majority leader Harry Reid made it clear that he would take up immigration reform this year. Sen. Reid said he would bring an immigration reform bill to the Senate floor June or November. Reid reaffirmed to try passing immigration legislation this year, either before mid-term elections or afterward during a lame-duck session.
Democratic Senator of Nevada Reid said Thursday that he remains committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform this year, Roll Call reported. “If we can’t get it done before election, we will get it done during the lame-duck session,” Reid said. “I don’t go for an arbitrary deadline, but once a bill is ready, I will bring it to the floor.”
Before his comment, Reid’s office issued a statement to clarify his intentions: “Make no mistake, as soon as he gets a bill from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Reid will bring immigration reform to the floor of the U.S. Senate, and hopes that Republicans will join Democrats in doing what’s right for our country.”
The expectation is that a Schumer-Graham immigration reform bill will be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee in May. In fact, Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has made it clear that as soon as a bill is ready, he is prepared to move forward.
Reid delays Immigration Reform until at least June
U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid hit pause button on immigration. Reid retreated from a major push on immigration overhaul in the coming weeks. Reid indicated that immigration legislation would have to wait until at least June or July.
Sen. Reid, Democrat of Nevada, told reporters after the weekly luncheon of Democratic senators that immigration reform wouldn’t be on the Senate’s agenda this work period. “We won’t get to immigration reform this work period,” Reid said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
The “work period” Mr. Reid mentioned referred to the seven-week stretch until Memorial Day on May 31 this year. Reid laid out his hopes for work on jobs bills, financial regulatory reform and food safety legislation. The majority leader indicated he could take up immigration reform as early as in June or July.
Over the weekend, Sen. Reid raised the hopes of immigration advocates by suggesting at a rally in Las Vegas that he was ready to push for immigration legislation as soon as lawmakers return this week from the Easter recess.
Aides to Mr. Reid said he never meant to imply that he was going ahead immediately and that
Democrats, under the leadership of Senator Charles Schumer of New York, were still putting together an immigration bill. “Once a bill is drafted, we hope to get it on the floor as quickly as possible,” Jim Manley, a spokesman for Reid, said.
Surprise! Reid starts work on Immigration Reform Now
U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made a surprise announcement at an immigration rally in Las Vegas that he would start work on an immigration reform bill this week. Reid reaffirmed to push an immigration overhaul in the Senate this year.
Sen. Reid told a large crowed at the immigration rally Saturday that he would start work as soon as lawmakers return on Monday from Easter recess. “We need to do this this year, we cannot wait,”
Reid said. “We are going to pass immigration reform, just as we passed health care reform.”
Reid told an estimated 6000 participants that he believes he has 56 votes in the Senate to support a new immigration bill. “We need a handful of Republicans,” he said.
Reid said new legislation would include border security measures and a temporary guest worker program. To get legal status, illegal immigrants would face “a penalty and a fine, people will have to work, stay out of troubles, pay taxes and learn English,” he said.
Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) may introduce their bipartisan immigration bill as early as this week.
