President Trump recently set off a firestorm of criticism from conservatives recently when he indicated his administration may push for some sort of amnesty for some illegal aliens and mentioned the DACA program. Questions should be asked about the deferred action on deportation for childhood arrivals, known as DACA and candidates position on legalization for illegal aliens.
We assume everyone concerned understands that the U.S. instituted an amnesty program in 1986 that was presented as a “one time” action that would legalize about a million and a half illegals and would be the end all solution to illegal immigration. The 1986 amnesty actually legalized almost three million illegal aliens. Most experts on both sides of the debate say it caused an increase in illegal immigration. We are told that there are at least 11 million illegal aliens in the USA today.
At about 375,000 to 400,000, DHS says Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than Arizona and the anti-enforcement Georgia Budget and Policy Institute shows that we have more illegals than Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders). Estimates from the Federation for Immigration Reform are that illegal immigration costs Georgians about $2.5 billion each year.
When the topic of former president Obama’s DACA executive amnesty comes up, most media coverage leaves out important facts that should be part of the conversation.
DACA recipients are “inadmissible and thus removable” under federal law.
Illegal aliens who have been awarded deferred action on deportation proceedings through the DACA amnesty by both the Obama and Trump administrations are illegal aliens and do not have “lawful presence” says the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision was handed down March 6, 2019. Here.
An honest discussion of an amnesty for “DACA” should recognize three groups of illegal aliens.
- Group one: The number of illegal aliens that now have DACA status according to federal figures (March, 2020) presented by the Migration Policy Institute (see interactive map for state numbers) in Washington: 643,560. It should be noted that originally, almost 800,000 illegal aliens received the DACA benefit but some have lost that status due to criminal offense and some have used DACA to become U.S. citizens.
- Group two: The number of illegal aliens that would be eligible for DACA (using the Obama guidelines set forth in 2012) if President Trump had not ended acceptance of new applications in September, 2017: 1,326,000
- Group three – Call it the “next DACA generation.” The number of children who illegally crossed the border in recent years and who will soon be part of the demand for expanding DACA or creating a system of legalization for children who came over our borders as minors with or without parents. This number is estimated at at least one million by the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington.
Note that this figure is not static and will increase. Any conversation should include the topic of recurring legalization “for the children.”
*UPDATE, July 18, 2020:Federal court restores DACA after Supreme Court ruling
We must recognize that all sides agree that at least half of the illegal aliens in the nation today did not cross the border illegally but came on temporary visas and then refused to leave. For example, imaging a family that comes with a temporary worker or visitor on a tourist visa and instead of departing as agreed, simply buys a home and enrolls the now illegal aliens children in American schools and waits for another amnesty.
Visa overstays in 2019 are put at 497,272 by DHS. See page V here.
We note that there is little if any reference to the illegal alien parents who used their children to anchor themselves in the U.S. and are still living, working and driving in Georgia and the U.S. illegally while using stolen or fraudulent ID and Social Security numbers.
Finally, it must be noted that amnesty by any name does not result in increased Hispanic votes for Republicans. After the “one time” Reagan amnesty of 1986, Hispanics rewarded Republican George H.W. Bush with 30% of their vote – tough-talking Trump got 29% in 2016. We think amnesty is mostly for the benefit of the special interests in the business lobby.
Candidates for congress should be asked their plans and positions on solutions and if they will vote to legalize any illegal aliens and if so, what part of the above groups of “victims of borders.”
