President Barack Obama has ordered a review of U.S. deportation practices to see whether immigration enforcement can be more humane, the White House said Thursday.
In a meeting with Latino lawmakers, Obama said he was deeply concerned about the pain that families feel when they are separated because of a broken U.S. immigration system. He told the lawmakers he’s asking Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to perform an inventory of current practices “to see how it can conduct enforcement more humanely within the confines of the law,” the White House said in a statement.
The announcement comes as immigrant rights activists, frustrated by the lack of progress in Congress, have been pressuring Obama to halt all deportations. Obama had said he doesn’t have the power to take that step unilaterally, although he has previously moved to ease deportations for some children brought into the U.S. illegally.
The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill last June with strong bipartisan support that would create a pathway for citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally, tighten border security and establish new visa and enforcement programs. The measure has languished in the House despite calls from Republican Party leaders, business groups, religious organizations and labor for lawmakers to act.
Taking part in the meeting Thursday were Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., a prominent immigration advocate, and House Democratic Caucus Xavier Becerra of California also joined Obama in the Oval Office.
(AP)
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3 Responses
It does appear that it is easier to deport an illegal alien who is a housewife married to a legal immigrant with children who are citizens, than to deport drug dealers and burglar. I suspect the civil servants in charge of deportation are rewarded based on the number of people they deport, so of course they go for the easy ones. Criminals are never going to be easy to deport since they tend to be experienced at avoiding police and undertand how to negotiate the legal system.
Compassion and humanity are by no means factors in the entire equation. The DNC pushes amnesty to increase their base. The GOP won’t ever see an Hispanic base, even if it were the sole catalyst behind the passage of amnesty for those now illegally residing in the US. Therefore, the GOP should remain true to its values and battle all attempts to create amnesty for illegals. They are, after all, lawbreakers. Dear liberals, are you screaming “racism?” Flip the coin and try living in Mexico illegally. I hope you like 8 by 8 foot prison cells, with nothing more than a bunk, a sink, and a bucket.
“They are, after all, lawbreakers.”
Actually that is not entirely true. Many of the illegal immigrants were brought here by their parents before they had any say in the matter.
‘are you screaming “racism?”’
YOU are the one who said, “The GOP won’t ever see a Hispanic base”. That surely sounds racist to me!
“try living in Mexico illegally”
Texas was created by illegal immigrants from the US. Should we give it back?
It should also be pointed out that a lot of Jews fled the Shoah only to become illegal immigrants. You would have rounded them up and deported them?