MIGRATION UPDATE

Fact Sheet:  Immigration Accountability Executive Action

Fixing Our Broken Immigration System Through Executive Action - Key Facts

www.DHS.gov (November 21, 2014)

Earlier in the year, President Obama tasked Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder with reviewing the U.S. immigration enforcement system with an eye toward making it more effective and humane.  On November 21, 2014, DHS issued its assessment which identified ten areas where it could take lawful action to increase border security, focus limited enforcement resources, and ensure accountability in the immigration system. The ten actions areas are:  (1) strengthen border security; (2) revise removal (i.e., deportation) priorities (e.g., deport felons, not families); (3) end Secure Communities (SCOMM) program and replace it with a new Priority Enforcement Program to reflect the top enforcement priorities; (4) personnel reform for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers; (5) expand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program; (6) extend deferred action to parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents; (7) expand provisional waivers to spouses and children of lawful permanent residents; (8) revise parole rules for entrepreneurs, relatives of people serving in the military, and Deferred Action beneficiaries; (9) promote the naturalization process; and (10) support high-skilled business and workers.

To learn more about these action areas, visit http://www.dhs.gov/immigration-action.

Justice Department Releases Memo on Obama Immigration Action

Politico (November 20, 2014)

The U.S. Department of Justice made public a 33-page memo that lays out the parameters of President Obama’s authority to take executive action to provide a reprieve from deportation for certain undocumented immigrants. The Justice Department concluded that the expansion of deferred action to certain undocumented immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) is lawful. However, it also concluded that the President did not have the legal authority to offer broad deportation relief to parents of children granted protection under DACA. The memo advises that any executive action must be consistent with the congressional policies that underlie the laws the executive branch is charged with enforcing. It found that providing a reprieve from deportation for the parents of U.S. citizen and LPR children was consistent with Congress’ policy to protect such relationships, while it has not been Congress’ policy to shield the undocumented parents of undocumented children (i.e., parents of DACA beneficiaries) from deportation.

To learn more, visit http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2014/11/white-house-releases-immigration-legal-opinion-199091.html.

Avoid Immigration Scams

www.USCIS.gov

With President Obama’s announcement on executive action, the risk grows that unsuspecting immigrants will be taken advantage of by unscrupulous people.  Since the government will not yet start accepting applications under the new executive action programs, immigrants should beware of people asking for payment to help them file applications for deferred action before the government accepts such applications.  Pastoral workers can learn ways to avoid immigration scams and share this information with their parishioners and serve as a resource to help educate parishioners to protect themselves from scams.  Readers can learn about some common immigration scams by clicking here.

To learn more, visit http://www.uscis.gov/avoid-scams.

Those from Mexico will Benefit Most from Obama’s Executive Action

Pew Research Center (November 20, 2014)

A new Pew Research Center analysis finds that two-thirds of the people who would be eligible for protection under President Obama’s executive action will be people who were born in Mexico.  This means that if 3.9 million people are potentially eligible for protection, then at least 2.6 million were born in Mexico.  According to the analysis, 44% of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico will be able to apply for protection under the President’s executive action.  

To learn more, visit http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/20/those-from-mexico-will-benefit-most-from-obamas-executive-action/.

Is Immigration Obama’s Last Big Thing?

Bloomberg (November 20, 2014)

This article asserts that President Obama’s recent announcement on executive action to protect certain undocumented immigrants from deportation might be the last major piece of his domestic political legacy. This article includes a helpful graphic showing how undocumented immigrants could qualify under the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and/or the new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) programs.

To read more, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-11-21/obama-makes-good-on-immigration-promise.

Pope Francis Addresses 7th World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Migrants

(November 21, 2014)

The 7th World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, organized by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, was held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Vatican City, from November 17-21, 2014.  On Friday, November 21, Pope Francis addressed participants and said migration is an “aspiration to hope.”  The Holy Father praised pastoral workers for their service, saying, “[P]astoral workers play an important role through initiating dialogue, welcoming and assisting with legal issues, mediating with the local population.”  He also called the Church a “source of hope” for migrants, saying, “[S]he develops programs of education and orientation, she raises her voice in defence of migrants’ rights; she offers assistance, including material assistance to everyone, without exception, so that all may treated as children of God.”
 
To read the Holy Father’s full address, visit http://cmsny.org/wp-content/uploads/7th-WORLD-CONGRESS-MIGRANTS-DISCOURSE-OF-THE-HOLY-FATHER-ENGLISH.pdf. 
 
Video of the Holy Father’s address is available at http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-migration-an-aspiration-to-hope. 

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