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.
A U.S. District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to give Oregon driver cards to illegal aliens notwithstanding a voter referendum to the contrary. The state in 2013 enacted Senate Bill 833, which authorized those driver cards, but 66% of Oregon voters chose to overturn the law by defeating a November 2014 ballot referendum.
The Center for Immigration Studies released a new study showing that households headed by an immigrant uses on average around $6,234 in welfare benefits, a 41% increase compared to households headed by a native. The study used information from the Census Bureau's 2012 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which is a survey used by the government that provides the most accurate picture of welfare utilization.
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.
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.
Two non-profit organizations, Familias En Accion and Los Ninos Cuentan, and five illegal aliens are suing Oregon Governor, Kate Brown, and other state transportation officials saying that their constitutional rights were violated when voters struck down S.B. 833, which allowed illegal aliens to receive driver’s license.
The new motor voter law (AB 1461), signed this week by California Gov. Jerry Brown, automatically registers anyone who has a driver’s license to vote through the DMV. In California illegal aliens can obtain a driver’s license, which means they could be automatically registered to vote if the Secretary of State’s office fails to verify their eligibility accurately.
This week, a group of illegal aliens filed a federal law suit against Georgia's Department of Driver Services for what they claim to be a violation of their constitutional rights by denying them driver's licenses.
The Center for Immigration Studies released a new study showing that immigrant (legal and illegal) households take access more welfare programs compared to native households.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Breitbart News -- Caroline May
Department of Homeland Security Sec. Jeh Johnson says he is disappointed more people are not taking advantage of the Obama administration’s new program to transport Central Americans to the U.S. at taxpayer expense.
“I’m disappointed that not more people are utilizing this, and I believe that we need to promote the new program better,” Johnson said Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
The Hill -- Cristina Marcos
Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) reintroduced legislation on Thursday to make illegal immigrants eligible for citizenship upon completing military service.
Denham has introduced the measure, known as the ENLIST Act, repeatedly over the last two years, as both a separate bill and an amendment to the annual national defense authorization.
Breitbart News -- Caroline May
The federal government missed an estimated $41.1 million in “cost savings” transporting immigrant detainees on charter flights due to an inefficient use of resources — namely flying with empty seats — a government watchdog concludes.
Washington Times -- Stephen Dinan
The administration has granted about 541,000 Social Security numbers to illegal immigrants under President Obama’s original 2012 deportation amnesty for Dreamers, officials told Congress in a letter made public Wednesday.
That means almost all of the illegal immigrants approved for the amnesty are being granted work permits and Social Security numbers, opening the door to government benefits ranging from tax credits to driver’s licenses.
Buzzfeed News -- David Noriega
Immigration lawyers pressured H&R Block, the tax preparation giant, to shut down a pilot program meant to help immigrants file forms with the government. The service would have put H&R block in direct competition with attorneys and legal groups dedicated to helping immigrants navigate federal laws.
In a court filing Justice Department attorneys informed Judge Andrew Hanen that 100,000 DACA program recipients received extended benefits, including work permits, prior to when the judge issued an injunction halting all program activity. Under prior direct questioning by the judge on the subject benefit issuance, Justice attorneys omitted having issued benefits before DACA’s February 18 start date.
Three House committees held separate hearings yesterday on the curtailment in interior immigration enforcement, legislation to crack down on asylum fraud, and the potential for amnestied illegal aliens to access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), even if they never paid income taxes. The hearings took place as Senate Democrats continued to filibuster legislation that would block implementation of the president’s executive amnesties.
If you listen to President Obama and his supporters – most notably, main stream media correspondents – his executive amnesties are needed to prevent the deportation of non-priority illegal aliens. But as the term “non-priority” suggests, Obama had already made these illegal aliens safe from deportation. His real goal is to give them work permits, irrespective of how it endangers American workers or the constitutional underpinnings of the presidency itself. And that's why he must be stopped.
A report released by retiring Sen. Tom Colburn, R-Okla., found that fewer than 3 percent of illegal aliens were likely to face deportation in fiscal year 2014, and that over 700 miles of the southwestern border are unsecure. The oversight report prepared by Sen. Colburn’s Homeland Security Committee staff also said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hides important information from Congress and the public and wastes time on non-critical matters.
In an interview with National Public Radio, President Barack Obama inaccurately described the views of Republicans who seek immigration-law enforcement, then claimed he could not work with them. However, he is willing to work on legislation with pro-amnesty Republicans who want to “fix a broken immigration system.”
District Judge Beryl Howell dismissed Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive amnesty. Arpaio plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery today announced his state has joined the lawsuit filed by attorneys general and governors challenging the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive amnesty. That lawsuit, now brought by 25 states, seeks a preliminary injunction to halt implementation of the president’s plans while the court considers the merits of the case.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell listened to arguments today in a lawsuit lodged by Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio that challenges the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive amnesty. The judge questioned whether Arpaio had legal standing to sue, and said she would rule on the matter soon.
A federal judge today declared parts of President Obama’s executive amnesty to be unconstitutional, but did not issue an injunction stopping its implementation, The Washington Times reports. The judge said Obama exceeded a president’s discretion and accused him of writing laws — something only Congress can do under the Constitution. While the judge’s ruling has no direct bearing on Obama’s executive amnesty, it suggests direct challenges to its constitutionality may gain traction in other courts where standing is achieved.
Washington Examiner -- Byron York
Think Congress can't stop President Obama's unilateral executive action on immigration? It can.
All money spent by the federal government is under the ultimate control of Congress. If they choose, lawmakers can issue exquisitely detailed instructions on how federal dollars are spent. For proof, look no further than the 1,695-page spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend.
Last week Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the case Arpaio v. Obama, et. al granted plaintiff Sheriff Joe Arpaio's request for an expedited hearing and ruling on his motion for preliminary injunction. Arpaio is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent President Obama from implementing plans to grant three years of "deferred action" status to millions of illegal aliens.
Senators cleared a $1.1 trillion spending bill after defeating an attempt to block funding for President Obama’s executive amnesty. 22 senators voted for the defunding attempt and 74 voted against it. The spending bill funds through the end of the fiscal year all government agencies except the Department of Homeland Security, which is funded only through Feb. 27. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, pledged to challenge Obama's executive amnesty next year but defunding proponent Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., said they can’t be trusted.
As the spending bill for 2015 makes its way through the Senate, Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) are pushing for a vote to defund President Obama's executive amnesty, which the version the House passed last night would not do.
The senators are hoping to get the defund vote onto the Senate floor as a "point of order", which would force a procedural vote on the issue without Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) having to introduce it. A Senate aide familiar with that plan said they remain optimistic that there will be a vote.
Breitbart News -- Warner Todd Huston
On Thursday, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R, OH) promised to challenge Obama's amnesty policies, but despite the political pressure, Obama plans to push forward with his legalization process, and the White House says it is set to begin taking applications as soon as the middle of February.
Sheriffs from all over the country converged on Capitol Hill today in order to protest President Obama's executive amnesty. During the event, the sheriffs called on Congress to defund the president's amnesty, asked for support to enforce the laws on the books, and discussed the effects of illegal immigration on their communities.
Town Hall -- Katie Pavlich
As the debate rages on Capitol Hill about how to defund President Obama's executive action that gives legal status to 5 million illegal immigrants, it's important to take a look at where the funding for his new amnesty program is coming from.
The Washington Post -- Aaron Blake
President Obama's executive action on immigration isn't polling well -- except among Hispanics, of course. New data from Gallup bears that out. While Americans overall disapprove of the executive action 51 percent to 41 percent, Latinos support it more than two-to-one: 64 percent to 28 percent.
In the wake of the spending bill for 2015 being released, Representatives Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), and Dave Brat (R-Va.) have introduced an amendment to defund President Obama's executive amnesty.
The Washington Times -- Stephen Dinan
The man who will oversee President Obama’s new temporary amnesty said Tuesday that part of the reason for the program was to get the illegal immigrants working on the books, making it economically impossible for them ever to be deported by a future president.
Breitbart News -- Caroline May
House Republican leadership’s strategy of waiting to combat President Obama’s executive amnesty via the power of the purse until next year is a ‘punt’ and a cowardly one, according to Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ). “To me the old adage ‘he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day’ is a coward,” Salmon tells reporters Tuesday.
Washington Times -- Ben Wolfgang
President Obama insisted Tuesday that his successor won’t take the political risk that would come with reversing his recent executive action on immigration reform.
Speaking at a town-hall meeting in Nashville, the president said it’s “theoretically” possible that the next administration could undo the amnesty Mr. Obama has granted to more than 4 million illegal immigrants, but he assured a crowd of undocumented Americans that such a step it is extremely unlikely.
Breitbart News -- Caroline May
According to Numbers USA, over the past few weeks their activists have made at least 100,000 calls to Congress pursuing that defunding.
Numbers USA’s content and activism director Chris Chmielenski explained to Breitbart News that the group knows how many calls its activists have made because the group owns the 800 numbers they are directing people to call.
Breitbart News -- Matthew Boyle
Daily Caller -- Al Weaver
Sen. Jeff Sessions continued his assault on President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty Monday, telling Judicial Watch that Obama has created an “entirely new immigration system” with his immigration overhaul less than three weeks ago.
In the address to the watchdog organization, the Alabama senator added that neither the president nor the executive branch are “empowered” to make these changes.
Breitbart TV
Thursday, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) delivered an address on the Senate floor on his plan to block funding for President Barack Obama's executive order amnesty.
National Journal -- Rachel Roubein and Sarah Mimms
President Obama's executive action on immigration may have cost him his pick to enforce the nation's border laws.
Sarah Saldaña, nominated by the president to lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, once looked to be on a glide path to confirmation. She had earned praise for her work as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas and had the support of a key member of the Senate Republican leadership.
Eighteen states, led by Texas, filed a lawsuit today with the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas challenging President Obama's executive action on immigration. The suit claims that the White House overstepped its authority by granting amnesty and work permits for 5 million illegal aliens.
NBC News -- Carrie Dann
Seventeen states, led by Texas Attorney General and Governor-elect Greg Abbott, are suing the Obama administration over the president's recent executive actions on immigration.
In a statement, Abbott said the president's unilateral action to offer deportation relief to millions of undocumented immigrants "tramples the U.S. Constitution's Take Care Clause and federal law."
Breitbart News -- Tony Lee
A record percentage of Americans polled by Quinnipiac do not want illegal immigrants to have a path to citizenship and feel illegal immigrants should be deported.
Quinnipiac found that support for a pathway to citizenship "is at its lowest level ever measured by the" independent polling outfit while the percentage of Americans who feel that "illegal immigrants should be required to leave" is "higher than this number ever has been."
