Not Everyone Is Happy About Obama's New Immigration Policy
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM)- Hundreds of thousands of students will soon benefit from an unexpected change to the country's immigration policy, but not everyone is happy about the change, or the way in which it was enacted.
President Barack Obama announced Friday that undocumented immigrants younger than 30, who were brought the U.S. before they were 16, have been in the country for 5 consecutive years, have no criminal history, and have graduated from a U.S. high school, earned a GED or served in the military will be immune to deportation for two years. They will be granted a two year work permit which will be eligible for renewal.
But unlike the DREAM act, which failed to pass in Congress, this new policy is being administrated by Homeland Security in the country's executive branch.
"This is completely within the authority and discretion of the President of the United States to administer this program," said Isaul Verdin, who practices immigration law in Dallas.
However, not everyone agrees.
"President Obama continues to bypass the U.S. Congress and it is wrong, illegal, and immoral. I do agree with need to review our immigration laws, but Congress and the citizens need to have a say in this process," said Carlos Amaral, co-founder and director of the Conservative Hispanic Society and the Dallas/ Fort Worth Center Right Coalition.
Governor Rick Perry said, "The Obama Administration's election year tactic to bypass Congress and arbitrarily grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants is another example of its blatant disregard for our Constitution, our rule of law and our democratic process….These are decisions that should thoroughly be debated within the halls of Congress."
This policy change offers no path to citizenship or even permanent residency.
Meanwhile, for the hundredsof thousands of illegal immigrants, the policy change is a life changer.
Reyna Ruiz was just 13 when her parents brought her to the U.S. hoping she and her siblings would have a better life.
But until now, Ruiz's Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education have been useless because she had no work permit.
The policy change has given her new hope.
"I'm totally grateful and I totally want to give back," she said.
How the policy will be executed and what the costs will be are yet to be determined.
