Nov 14, 2014

Barack Obama to reform US immigration system this year

Light is reflected on Sara Ramirez, of Gaithersberg, Maryland as she rallies for comprehensive immigration reform outside the White House in Washington, 7 November 2014 
 
 
US President Barack Obama has said he will take action to reform immigration this year.
Mr Obama blamed Congress for failing to act and said he would try to make the system work better.
His remarks follow reports in the New York Times and Fox News that he plans to extend protection from deportation to some parents of legal US residents.
The overall plan is estimated to affect as many as five million undocumented immigrants living in the US.

Republicans in Congress say such action would be beyond Mr Obama's authority.
'Tooth and nail' At a news conference in Yangon with Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Obama said he had given the House of Representatives more than a year to come up with an immigration bill but they had failed to do so.
"I said that if in fact Congress failed to act I would use all the lawful authority I possess to try to make the system work better," he said.
"And that's going to happen before the end of the year."
Mr Obama added that as soon as Congress passed a bill he could sign, "any executive actions will be replaced".
President Barack Obama meets with Congressional leaders in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House in Washington. From left are, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Obama 7 November 2014
But Republicans in Congress said the president should work with them.
"We're going to fight the president tooth and nail if he continues down this path," House Speaker John Boehner told reporters.
Mitch McConnell, the incoming Senate majority leader, urged the president to "work with us to try to find a way to improve our immigration system".
The BBC travelled to California and Mexico, to report on US deportees
The president also faces pressures from within his own party. Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid urged Mr Obama only to take action after Congress passes a bill funding the government past 11 December.
Some Republicans are pushing for the budget bill to include a statement prohibiting "the use of appropriated funds for the president's immigration machinations".
Such a move could provoke a block by the Democrats, or a veto by the president, which in turn raises the risk of a government shutdown.
A break in the border fence at the United States-Mexico border is seen outside of Brownsville, Texas 5 August 2014 Republicans say they want increased border security alongside immigration reform
Unilateral action has been expected on immigration but details of what the president was considering were first reported this week.
At the centre of the reports is a plan to extend the president's "deferred action" plan, which was designed to protect young adults who were brought to the US illegally as children from being deported.
The plan is to extend that to the parents of children who are US citizens or legal residents.
The action is designed to prevent the break-up of families via deportations. The number of those affected by the suggested policy is based on how long an individual has lived in the US.
If the administration limits the "deferred action" to those who have lived in the US for more than 10 years, it would affect 2.5 million undocumented immigrants, experts estimate.
Stephanie Ramirez made the agonising decision to leave her family behind
If the time limit is lowered to five years, it would stop deportations for as many as 3.3 million.
Other parts of the executive action reported by the media include:
  • increasing the number of high-tech workers allowed to live and work in the US
  • an expansion of the existing deferred action plans that would move the cut-off date for children arriving to 2010
  • shift border security resources to the US southern border, according to reports.
The Senate passed a far-reaching immigration bill in 2013, but the House has not taken up the legislation.