Since Speaker Boehner initially declared immigration dead for 2013, the Obama administration has initiated sweeping, unilateral changes to U.S. immigration policy.
Without consultation – let alone approval – from Congress, the political leadership at the Department of Homeland Security issued no fewer than three memos in November and made an additional executive move to change immigration policies. The Obama administration seems intent on punishing Congress for not taking action by continuing to usurp their constitutionally granted authority over immigration. And, illegal aliens and immigrants are reaping the benefits.
Amnesty for Military Relatives
The policy memo released the day after Boehner’s “no immigration this year” declaration – November 15 – directs immigration officials to grant “parole in place” to the immediate relatives of active military servicemen, reservists, and veterans. The self-granted and completely fabricated “parole in place” designation is not found in law or regulation and the Obama administration appointees are claiming illegal alien relatives will be allowed to apply for green cards and citizenship. The effect: amnesty for illegal aliens.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Countries Get Unlimited Travel?
This less publicized memo, issued on November 14, grants illegal aliens who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who entered the country through the VWP the ability to obtain a green card and eventual citizenship even though they’ve remained beyond their authorized stay of 90 days. Even those ordered deported could obtain a green card under this memo.
Circumventing Time Limits on Temporary Work Visas
The November 11 memo allows the Obama administration to circumvent existing time limits for guest worker visas. The memo specifically applies to H-2A (agricultural workers), H-2B (low-skilled workers), and H-3 (“trainee”) visas. In practice, the changes under this memo could allow seasonal and temporary workers to establish de facto permanent residence in the United States.
Extending Foreign Student Visas
On November 20, DHS proposed changing federal regulations to allow even more foreign students to enroll in U.S. colleges and universities by permitting spouses and children of foreign students to study part-time. Over the past decade (2003-2013), the number of foreign students in the U.S. has grown 40 percent, now totaling 819,644. The main reason for the growth of foreign student enrollment is overseas recruitment by U.S. colleges and universities.