WASHINGTON | Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is set to tell GOP critics that President Barack Obama’s new immigration changes amount to “simple common sense.”
Johnson defends the policies in testimony prepared for a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday. The executive actions Obama announced two weeks ago will shield some 4 million immigrants here illegally from deportation, as long as they’ve been in the U.S. more than five years and have kids who are citizens or legal permanent residents.
“The reality is that, given our limited resources, these people are not priorities for removal — it’s time we acknowledge that and encourage them to be held accountable,” Johnson says in the testimony. “This is simple common sense.”
Republicans who won full control of Congress in November’s midterm elections don’t see it that way and are vowing to stop Obama, though how they will do so remains unclear. Lawmakers returning from a week-long Thanksgiving break plan to meet on the issue in the days ahead.
“The president’s decision to bypass Congress and grant amnesty to millions of unlawful immigrants is unconstitutional and a threat to our democracy,” the committee’s chairman, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, said in a statement. “I will use every tool at my disposal to stop the president’s unconstitutional actions from being implemented, starting with this oversight hearing.”
Johnson’s appearance on Capitol Hill also comes as he has emerged as a possible candidate to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Johnson’s role in crafting the immigration changes could complicate that, giving Republicans an outlet to vent their opposition to the policies.
In his testimony, Johnson embraces the policies and takes credit for them. “I recommended to the president each of the Homeland Security reforms to the immigration system that he has decided to pursue,” Johnson says in the prepared remarks.
Obama’s immigration measures also expand an existing program that grants work permits and deportation deferrals to immigrants brought here illegally as kids, and the administrative actions also reorder law enforcement priorities to focus on new arrivals and people with criminal records.
Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.
Might as well change the title from President to Dictator if this is the new norm.
When the illegals came to this country they understood that they were not entering legally and could be deported at any time. To now throw out the humanity card (breaking apart families) is disingenuous. That was the chance they took when they broke the law and preempted the millions of people from other countries that wanted to come here the right away — legally.
In 1986, President Reagan enacted a sweeping overhaul that gave legal status to up to 3 million
immigrants without authorization to be in the Country, if they had come to the US before 1982.
In l989, Bush Sr. went big. He protected about 40% of the unauthorized population – about 1.5 million.
Presidents Eisenhower, Ford and both Bushes
altered the immigration laws by EXECUTIVE
ACTION. The word “impeachment” was never
spoken.
Terrible logic. Should Obama invade say Syria and Iran because other Presidents have also started wars? Unfortunately instead of learning from the mistakes of the past Obama is repeating them. Which means we will be having this discussion again.
Those applying for VISA to come here for schools from any country, or applying for work VISA, or to be tourist, or other reason will feel like fools at filling out papers, paying fees, and waiting, only to come here and find all these people ahead of them, having committed illegal entry, and many not even speaking English. So they demand citizenship, refusing to learn English, not making any attempt to assimilate through our “melting pot, programs of the past. And also finding out the illegal entry folks are now eligible for benefits with their green card, driving license, and other benefits. Can even apply to have rest of their extended family join them, SINCE WE BIG HEARTED AMERICANS WOULD NOT WANT TO SPLIT THEIR FAMILY. That would be so cruel. .
Other presidents have done it. He just did it big. We will be leaving families behind and taking their main financial supporter away. Then we have millions of children on welfare. Sounds like we could have someone working and supporting those legal us citizens. Since they have to apply and become legitimate documented workers we could help to eliminate anyone double dipping and taking advantage of our legal syste. If they cannot pass a background check or lie on the application they move to the front of the line for deportation. At worst we are documenting 5 million or so illegal aliens so we know who they are and filter out some of the criminals by prioritizing their removal from our country.
We also have no way of knowing if someone abroad was arrested or convicted of some crime in Mexico or South America came here and managed to stay off the radar. With background checks at least some of these guys will be caught and have a ICE member coming for them. At least they will have to explain themselves if they were arrested or convicted of a crime. We have no idea of who they were before they came, we need to document these people and get them out. Keep them out, we need border security along with this.