Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

It won’t give any illegal immigrants a new passage to U.S. citizenship, but the Obama administration announced today that it will stop deportations of most students who came to this country as children and have graduated from high school or served in the military and instead will emphasize deportations serious criminals.

The new policy, while not going as far as the DREAM Act, will afford protection to those who revealed their illegal status as part of their activism in support of the act, which was turned down by Congress, and thousands of others. The administration said it was not exempting a whole group of illegal immigrants from expulsion or deportation, but that it would decide on a case by case basis, applying the new guidelines.

The announcement was made on a blog by Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, and in a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) a major proponent of the DREAM Act, and other key senators. Napolitano said that such “low priority cases” were clogging immigration courts and blocking efforts to concentrate on more serious cases.

Obama has fought repeatedly for passage of the DREAM Act, pushing it even during the continuing budget battles.

“The Obama administration has made the right decision in changing the way they handle deportations of DREAM Act students,” Durbin said in a statement posted on his website. “These students are the future doctors, lawyers, teachers and, maybe, Senators, who will make America stronger. We need to be doing all we can to keep these talented, dedicated, American students here, not wasting increasingly precious resources sending them away to countries they barely remember. The administration’s new process is a fair and just way to deal with an important group of immigrant students and I will closely monitor DHS to ensure it is fully implemented.”

Durbin, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Inc.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had asked Napolitano in April to stop deportations of DREAM Act students. The new policy will also cover elderly immigrants, pregnant women and various others immigrants who have shown “positive” factors.

About 300,000 pending cases will be reviewed and except in extraordinary circumstances they will be dismissed, Durbin said in his statement.

Munoz said in the White House blog that reviewers “will be applying common sense guidelines to make these decisions, like a person’s ties and contributions to the community, their family relationships and military service record. In the end, this means more immigration enforcement pressure where it counts the most, and less where it doesn’t – that’s the smartest way to follow the law while we stay focused on working with the Congress to fix it.”

http://www.youthtoday.org/view_artic...rticle_id=4975

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

so is this that "good news" that Durbin was talking about o_o?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

those aren't just good news but amazing news. If you get caught you have a significant chance of getting a work permit thus having semi legal status.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

don't you think that's just a little messed up that only way to get some sort of legal status is to now get caught? I'm happy for those that are in deportation proceeding, but i expected much more than this.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

That is exactly right. The Democrats could have done more than this a long time ago.

This is not a get out jail free card either. It means that you are still at the whim of bureaucracy, and, moreover, the policy can be reversed very easily if the Republicans get the White House in 2012.

If the Democrats are smart, they will use this as a point of divergence with the Republicans on immigration reform. In the long view, the Republican anti-immigration policy isn't sustainable. Demographics are against it.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

isnt there a 2 year limit on the work permit?

-so what happens then? some say you can re-apply after that two years.... but what if you get denied? what happens after?

they know who you are... they know where you live... sooooooooooooo hmmmm i dont know about this..

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

unless you're already in a proceeding, why would you schedule a hearing with ICE?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

we could take this as an opportunity to organize with less fear and push harder for the DREAM Act, additionally demonstrating to the voters how the anti-immigration policy is not suitable and correct a lot of the misinformation that the republicans have spread over the years.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Furthermore, this highlights how backed up ICE cases are. They have 300,000 cases to go through! and there's MILLIONS of us!

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

So now we can fly within the states and not be scared?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

If you don't have a government-issued ID and are willing to risk going through deportation proceedings, yes. If not, then no.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

I have a couple of Border Patrol friends, as I have mentioned here before, I went to High School with them. I was thinking about turning myself in to them, they don't know I'm undocumented what do you guys think about this? I go out with them on the weekends once in a while. I could of told them about my status a long time ago, but I didn't, I don't want to tell you guys what other friends I have who are DHS related employess, cuz some of you are going to say: you're stupid why didn't you ask them to help you out, etc. etc. But I understand they would have to risk their freedom and their jobs in order to help me out, but here I go, call me stupid if you want I don't mind. Besides the 2 BP agents I have another friend that works for USCIS, she's been working there for about 6 years, she just posted on FB last week that she was going to take a test to become a consular officer. And my niece works for Customs. So what do you guys think, should I turn myself in?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Still a dumb idea.

You get your work permit, right. But say he gets thrown out of office: you are in the computer and we all know the whole thing will get reversed if the republicans take office

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Its time to celebrate. This is awesome news.

Obama has done it!

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Agreed. There's no point in turning yourself in at the moment if you can live (like, feed yourself/family, etc.) without doing so. Wait until this angers Republicans enough that it forces them to come to the table and negotiate; once they do, if they know what's good for them, let politics do its dirty works and get the DREAM Act passed.

If by some unfortunate miracle/disgrace (however you want to look at it) Obama loses the election, the first thing I can imagine Bachmann, Perry, or Romney doing is throwing out Janet Napolitano, John Morton, and Alejandro Mayorkas.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

If you are granted a work permit, it has to come along with a SSN. Once you have it in your hands, it will be very difficult for republicans to try to cancel that.

Just on a note, TPS beneficiaries, they have been temporary protected more than a decade for Honduran and Nicaraguans. They have established credit, bought homes, cars, etc...So its very hard for the SSN cancel all that, even worse how the economy is right now.

So Let's pray at least we can get a work permit out of this :)

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

I think obama schould have done little more then this such as 245i protection. It would helped lot of us who are eleigible for green card through sponsors and they can apply from here without leaving country.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

my sis is in removal proceedings, she has a hearing in december but will talk to her lawyer on monday about this, Ill keep you guys informed on how it goes :), hope her case atleast is dropped, hope she is given a work permit too *cross fingers*

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

My gosh there is no pleasing some of you people.. Beggars are not choosers man. I remember people bashing Obama for not stopping the deportation of dreamers. Now he has done so ppl are not satisfied and want more. This is a good move on his part. Millions of Dreamers can now breath a little bit better and even sleep with both eyes close!. Remember to always walk with ID when traveling. Even going to the store for milk walk with ID. This is a step to the right direction.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

You mean extending the date from 4/30/01?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Yupp, or atleast remove 10 yrs ban and let us apply from here without leaving country. I know many of my friends and cousions whoes wife is citizen but they can't apply just b/c they dont wan risk of getting 10 yrs ban.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I figured the 10 year ban would only generally be an issue if you left the country to do Consular Processing. In which case you still can't apply from within the country. I'm pretty sure it's in the INA that a person out of status can't apply for adjustment of status (with some exceptions mentioned therein).

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Yes your correct, I just said they don't wan leave country and risk of getting 10 yrs ban b/c ther are many other ways you can leave country and come back without getting 10 yrs ban.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Understood. The 10 year ban is absurd, as is the 3 year ban. It's as if two people stayed up too late and had one too many drinks and thought "Hey, I've got an idea! Let's punish recidivism!" "How we gonna do that?" "We'll force them into coming back illegally and screw them over for life!"

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Or something to that effect. Ask Lamar Smith. I'm sure he remembers.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

The 10 year bar would be part of CIR though. There is a grandfather clause in 245i and that still applies for many today.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

True, but it has tough requirements such as pettion needs to be filed before 2001.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Arbitrary dates ftw. Sucks for someone if they filed May 1, 2001.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Even if it was denied, it can still be under the grandfather clause.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Only if 245i is extended. The last time that came up for a vote was nearly a decade ago, if I'm not mistaken.

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Even if it was not approved or withdrawn, it is considered ' “approvable when filed”,

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Sorry, I'm confused. What do you mean?

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

Re: Obama Halts DREAM Act Deportations
 

I think I understand, but the deadline's still April 30, 2001. If the petition is filed after that date, it doesn't fall under the current text of 245(i).