Obama's executive amnesties

Rep. Gosar Invokes NumbersUSA on House Floor

Updated: July 5th, 2016, 11:05 am

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  by  Chris Chmielenski

The last time NumbersUSA was mentioned on the House floor during a debate, it was amnesty-champion Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) slamming us for supporting an end to the Visa Lottery. But Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) mentioned us in a more flattering way on Wednesday night during debate over his amendment to the Defense spending bill that would have blocked DACA recipients from enlisting in the military.

Reps. Gosar, King, and Sessions Push for Passage of Amendments Blocking DACA Recipients from Enlisting in the Military

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Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Steve King (R-Iowa), and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) pushed for passage of the Gosar and King amendments to the National Defense Appropriations Act on the House floor Wednesday evening. The Gosar and King amendments would prohibit any funds from being used to enlist illegal aliens who received deferred action through Pres. Obama's DACA amnesty into the military. Votes are scheduled on the Gosar and King amendments this afternoon.

Renee Ellmers Immigration History Led to North Carolina Primary Defeat

Updated: June 22nd, 2016, 10:15 am

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  by  Chris Chmielenski

Primary challengers were lining up against North Carolina incumbent Renee Ellmers and her history of supporting amnesties and increases in foreign workers. But after a federal court ordered the last minute redrawing of the Congressional district boundaries, Ellmers was pitted against Congressman George Holding. Still, it wasn't enough to save her seat after a 4-year history of voting against her constituents' wishes on immigration.

Judge Issues Rebuke to Obama's 'Intentionally Deceptive' DAPA Lawyers

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Federal District Court Judge Andrew Hanen, who has jurisdiction over the DAPA/extended DACA amnesty case, concluded that Justice Department attorneys were “intentionally deceptive” and ordered them to take remedial ethics classes. Judge Hanen said Department of Justice lawyers knowingly hid information and misled the court concerning the approval of amnesty applications.

House Leaders block Gosar Amendment to NDAA

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The House Rules Committee, along with House GOP Leaders, blocked Rep. Paul Gosar's (R-Ariz.) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have blocked illegal aliens from enlisting in the military. Instead, GOP Leaders are standing behind a compromise amendment added during the bill's markup between Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) that would encourage the Secretary of Defense to enlist DACA recipients into the military.

Supreme Court Divided on DAPA Case

Supreme Court Divided on DAPA

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After oral arguments on Monday the eight Supreme Court Justices seem to be evenly split over the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) case. The court spent 90 minutes debating if Texas and the other 25 states have the right to sue over Pres. Obama’s executive amnesty and if so does DAPA, specifically the Administration's plan to grant work permits and Social Security numbers to a class of illegal aliens, violate the constitution.

Much on the line for politicians & American workers ahead of Monday's Supreme Court hearing on Obama amnesties

Updated: May 2nd, 2016, 8:50 am

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  by  Chris Chmielenski

Oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the case filed by Texas and 25 other states against Pres. Obama's second executive amnesty will take place on Monday. The Court's ruling, which likely won't come until late June, could have an enormous impact on the race for the White House, Congressional action for the rest of the session, and millions of American workers who would face increased labor competition from millions of illegal aliens receiving work permits if the President's actions are upheld.

Senate GOP Files Brief Against DAPA In Supreme Court Case

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Senate Republicans filed an amicus brief yesterday against Pres. Obama’s executive amnesty, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), in the upcoming Supreme Court case. In the brief Senate Republicans claim that Pres. Obama overstepped his authority by issuing an executive action that would change current immigration laws.

DACA Approval Rate Could Undermine DAPA Supreme Court Case

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Pres. Obama’s 2012 executive amnesty, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), still approves 93% of its applications, which may impact the Supreme Court’s decision on his broader executive amnesty, DAPA. The two executive actions are very similar and according to the Washington Examiner, the Supreme Court could easily use the performance of DACA to determine the future impact of DAPA.

Senators Expose Citizenship Path for Obama's Executive Amnesty Recipients

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In a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called out the Obama Administration’s abuse of advance parole authority in granting a citizen path to illegal aliens with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. President Obama had said these executive amnesty recipients would not get citizenship.

House To Vote on Pres. Obama's Executive Amnesties

House To Vote on DAPA

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The House will vote on a motion to file a friend-of-the-court brief in the Supreme Court case against Pres. Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) executive action, according to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) The brief would state that Pres. Obama overstepped his authority by issuing an executive action that would change current immigration laws.

Chairman Goodlatte Hopeful Supreme Court Will Stop President's Immigration 'Lawlessness'

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., expressed confidence that Supreme Court Justices will block implementation of President Obama's DAPA and extended DACA executive amnesties. He said "(s)uch lawlessness must be stopped so that we protect the Constitution and the intent of the Founding Fathers that the legislative branch, which reflects the will of and is accountable to the American people, makes the laws, not the President.”

Supreme Court Will Rule On DAPA Case

Supreme Court Will Rule On DAPA Case

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The Supreme Court announced today that it will hear the case against Pres. Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) executive action. DAPA has been put on hold since February 2015 when U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ordered an injunction on the executive action after Texas and 25 other states filed a lawsuit to stop the amnesty.

Texas-Led State Coalition Asks Supreme Court to Deny Executive Amnesty Hearing, Uphold Injunction

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Today the Texas Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of a 26-state coalition, filed a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling blocking President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty. The brief, which opposes the Administration’s motion for certiorari (i.e., a hearing on the case), argues the president exceeded his authority in attempting to unilaterally grant lawful presence and work permits to millions of illegal aliens.

Sen. Sessions: Omnibus Funds President’s 'Entire Immigration Agenda,' Further Disenfranchises American Voters

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Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., yesterday warned that the omnibus appropriations bill would quadruple a foreign worker program replacing Americans, expand the refugee program amid serious national security threats, and ignore the existence of dangerous Sanctuary Cities.

Fifth Circuit Court Upholds Injunction on Obama’s DAPA Amnesty

Fifth Circuit Court DAPA

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the injunction on Monday issued by a lower court that stopped Pres. Obama’s 2014 executive amnesty (DAPA) from taking effect. In a 2 to 1 vote the court agreed that Pres. Obama’s executive action affected more than just the enforcement of immigration laws but would give legal status and work permits to millions of illegal aliens.

Speaker Boehner to Resign Leaving Checkered Immigration Legacy

Updated: October 11th, 2017, 3:20 pm

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  by  Van Esser

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced this morning he will resign from Congress at the end of October. The Speaker leaves behind a long history of pressing his caucus to legalize illegal aliens and increase already historically-high legal immigration levels. This, and his lack of interest in fighting President Obama’s executive amnesties, led to some of the biggest clashes within the House Republican Caucus.

Obama Administration Issues 7.4 Million Work Permits Above Federal Legal Limits

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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Breitbart News acquired the written responses from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the Senate Judiciary Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee Republicans that showed that the the Obama administration has issued over 7.4 million work permits over the legal limits set by Congress over the past 6 years.

DHS Cancels 2,000 Work Permits To Stop Contempt of Court Hearing

DHS logo

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Top DHS officials have recovered all but 22 of 2,000 work permits given to illegal aliens after being threatened with contempt charges by U.S. District Court Judge, Andrew Hanen, for violating his injunction against Obama’s executive amnesty orders. Judge Hanen gave the Obama administration till July 31 to void all of the permits that were given out after the Feb. 17, 2015 injunction.

Obama Administration Grants Amnesty to At Least Six Illegal Aliens Deemed Security Risks

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Written responses to the Senate Judiciary Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee show that the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) has granted amnesty to six illegal aliens through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program even though they were flagged as "possible national security concerns." In the statements, USCIS says that only seven of the 16 DACA applicants flagged with security concerns have been denied amnesty so far and three remain pending.

Obama Administration Proposes to Amnesty Relatives of Legal Permanent Residents

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The Obama Administration proposed a rule that would amnesty the illegal-alien spouses, children and parents of Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) in a manner similar to the congressionally-authorized 245(i) amnesty. The provisional unlawful presence waiver under the rule would allow an estimated 272,000 illegal aliens in these categories to obtain a green card without facing the current statutory penalty - a 3-year or 10-year bar on re-entry to the U.S.

Fifth Circuit Hears Arguments in Executive-Amnesty Injunction Case

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A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments last Friday in the case brought by the Obama Administration to overturn a lower-court injunction on executive-amnesty implementation. The Capitol Hill newspaper Politico predicted the case may have to be resolved in the Supreme Court since the Administration is likely to lose in the 5th Circuit.

House Republicans Miss Opportunity to Reign in Executive Amnesties

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A House subcommittee yesterday missed an opportunity to permanently defund the president’s executive amnesties. The subcommittee cleared a draft DHS spending bill that defunds the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents amnesty and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals amnesty, but only while a related federal court injunction remains in effect. The measure does not affect DHS because the injunction imposed by Texas District Court Judge Andrew Hanen already prohibits the agency from implementing those amnesties.

A Year Later, Deception Allows Most Border Surge Minors to Remain

Updated: October 11th, 2017, 3:22 pm

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  by  Van Esser

At a Senate hearing this week an Obama Administration official said that nine out of 10 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) who crossed the border illegally during the border surge were placed with family members or friends in the United States. The vast majority of these minors were never eligible for placement, however, because the law Obama used to shield them from deportation defines a UAC as an illegal-alien minor without a parent or legal guardian in the U.S.

Top DHS Officials Ordered to Texas Court in Executive Amnesty Case

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Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen issued an order requiring Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and top agency officials to appear in his court to explain why they should not be sanctioned for failing to remedy the issuance of 2,000 work permits in violation of the judge’s injunction. The order comes just days before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in a case brought by the Obama Administration to overturn Judge Hanen’s injunction.

Fifth Circuit Judges to Hear Executive Amnesty Case Announced

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Fifth Circuit Judges Jennifer Walker Elrod, Jerry Smith, and Carolyn Dineen King have been selected to hear the legal merits of President Obama's executive actions to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens. Two of the judges, Elrod and Smith, have previously ruled against President Obama in regard to the executive actions.

Federal Judge Orders Administration to Remedy Executive Amnesty Work Permits

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U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ordered the Administration to void and change the three-year work permits issued to about 2,000 illegal aliens after he imposed an injunction on implementation of President Obama’s executive amnesties. The judge said he was shocked this illegal action has not yet been remedied, but did not sanction the Administration’s conduct.

DHS Further Reduces Detention of Illegal Border Crossers

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Pushed by Democratic Members of Congress and special interest groups, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson today announced DHS would further limit the detention of those who illegally crossed the border as family units. Johnson's announcement comes despite a FOX News report this week indicating that 84 percent of Central American families who were released during last year’s border surge failed to appear in court.

Obama Administration Implements Priority Enforcement Program, Limits Interior Enforcement

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As the courts sort out the legality of President Obama's executive action to grant amnesty and work permits to 5 million illegal aliens, the Obama administration is moving forward with its Priority Enforcement Program, which prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from targeting most illegal aliens for removal, including most of those who come into contact with state and local police.

Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill to De-Fund Executive Amnesties

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., introduced the Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act, which would ban DHS from using the fees collected for legal immigration benefits to fund President Obama’s executive amnesties. In a press release, Sen. Cruz said, “The federal government should not be in the business of looting the wallets of those who followed the law and came here legally to fund the President’s illegal and unconstitutional amnesty. This bill will cut off DHS’s credit card.”

DHS Suspends Plans to Implement Executive Amnesty

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The Obama Administration has quietly ceased its preparations to implement the president's Nov. 20 executive amnesty. The Department of Homeland Security has suspended plans to hire up to 3,100 new employees that would have processed the applications to grant work permits and other documentation necessary to allow approximately 5 million illegal aliens to stay in the U.S.

5th Circuit Seeks More Information for Executive-Amnesty Injunction Appeal Case

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Politico reports the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Justice Department and a coalition of 26 states to comment on a three-judge panel’s ruling that temporarily affirmed an injunction blocking President Obama's executive amnesties. Supplemental briefs addressing that panel’s majority and dissenting opinions in the emergency stay case are due on June 18. Another three-judge panel within the 5th Circuit will hear arguments in the separate injunction appeal case beginning on July 10.

IRS Commissioner Confirms Illegal Aliens Could Claim Tax Benefits

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IRS Commissioner John Koskinen confirmed through written responses to Congress that illegal aliens granted amnesty under President Obama's executive actions could claim back tax refunds even if they never filed returns to pay their taxes in the first place. The responses were released by Sen. Chuck Grassley, who pressed Commissioner Koskinen in the past.

House approves King Amendments to CJS funding bill

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The House of Representatives approved three immigration amendments offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill Wednesday evening. Two of the three amendments were approved with roll call votes, including an amendment that would block funding for the Department of Justice in its defense in the lawsuit filed by Texas and 25 other states against Pres. Obama's unconstitutional executive amnesties.

Obama to Fight Executive-Amnesty Injunction in 5th Circuit, not Supreme Court

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The Department of Justice announced it will not ask the Supreme Court to negate a district court judge’s injunction on implementation of President Obama’s executive amnesties. The Administration will instead proceed with an appeal before the 5th Circuit Court scheduled for July 10.

ANOTHER VICTORY: Court of Appeals Rejects White House Emergency Request to Lift Injunction on Executive Amnesty

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The 5th Circuit of the Federal Court of Appeals rejected an emergency request by the Obama administration to lift an injunction on President Obama's plan to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens. The temporary injunction was put in place after 26 states sued the Obama administration alleging the plan is unconstitutional.

House approves Brooks Amendment stripping amnesty provision from defense bill

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The House of Representatives approved an amendment offered by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) on Thursday night that strips an amnesty provision from the National Defense Authorization Act. The provision would have encouraged the Secretary of Defense to waive military enlistment requirements for illegal aliens who received amnesty through Pres. Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

IG Report: Failure to Track Releases Under 'Prosecutorial Discretion' Could Have National Security, Public Safety Implications

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The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security released a report finding that DHS does not consistently track its uses of prosecutorial discretion in immigration enforcement, which may compromise national security and public safety.

House Committee allows floor vote on anti-amnesty Brooks amendment

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The House Rules Committee approved votes for 135 amendments last night to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including an amendment offered by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) that would strip out language, encouraging the Secretary of Defense to waive enlistment requirements for illegal aliens. The Committee also blocked Rep. Jeff Denham's (R-Calif.) military amnesty amendment from a floor vote.

Cato Institute Files Amicus Brief Supporting State Lawsuit Against Executive Amnesty

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The Cato Institute, along with several law professors, has filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit filed by 26 states challenging President Obama's executive action to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens. Joining Cato in the brief are South Texas College of Law professor, Josh Blackman, George Mason University School of Law professor, Jeremy A. Rabkin, and Roger Williams University School of Law professor, Peter S. Margulies.

Government watchdog: ICE released almost 13,000 illegal immigrants in 2014 after deciding they weren’t priorities for deportation

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The Blaze -- Pete Kasperowicz

The government watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security released a report this week saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released nearly 13,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2014, because ICE deemed they were not enforcement priorities.

The same report from the DHS’ Office of Inspector General found that DHS is not gathering and assessing enough data on its various policies of prosecutorial discretion, even though it had promised to do so.

Congressional Republicans Enter Battle to Sustain Injunction against Obama's Executive Amnesties

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113 Republican Members of Congress signed on to an amicus brief that argues the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals should affirm Judge Andrew Hanen’s injunction against implementation of President Obama’s executive amnesties. The list includes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Ky., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Va., former House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, Tex., and Sen. Ted Cruz, Tex.

Obama Administration Approved Amnesty Applications in Violation of Judge’s Injunction

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The Washington Times reports that Department of Justice attorneys informed a federal judge that USCIS issued 2,000 three-year work permits under the extended version of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) amnesty after the judge’s Feb. 16 injunction. Administration attorneys were already in jeopardy of possible sanctions for deceiving the judge regarding the issuance of 100,000 applications under the 2012 DACA amnesty prior to the injunction.

House Committee Approves Amendment that Affirms Pres. Obama's DACA Amnesty

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The House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment on Wednesday to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016, offered by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), that affirms Pres. Obama's unconstitutional 2012 DACA amnesty. The amendment was approved 33-to-30 by the Committee, mostly along party lines, but with enough GOP support to pass.

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