RestoringLiberty: When Donald Trump is inaugurated as president in January, he has the authority to dramatically reshape immigration policy by himself.
While Trump would need Congress to appropriate money to fund his biggest campaign promise — building a wall across the southern border — he can act alone in other areas, just like President Barack Obama has, in deciding how to enforce immigration law.
“The president does have a lot of executive authority and discretion to enforce the law as he wishes,” said David Leopold, an immigration attorney and former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “There is a lot of immigration enforcement discretion.”
How Trump Can Act Alone
In interviews with The Daily Signal, Leopold and other experts described how Trump could act on the many promises he made to overhaul U.S. immigration policy.
Trump can take immediate actions by himself, starting with canceling Obama’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which has provided deportation protection and work permits to about 800,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
The program grants protection for two years, after which beneficiaries can apply again. New applicants can still request DACA protection through the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
“One of questions is whether he would cut [DACA] off immediately or let the program sunset so that when people’s protection expires, he does not allow for renewals,” said Faye Hipsman, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. “USCIS is still receiving first-time DACA applications, so that would occur in a pretty staged and staggered manner.”
Trump could also permanently cancel a broader Obama program that made more people eligible for DACA protection and extended legal status to include the parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents. The Supreme Court has blocked that program.
In addition, Trump, if he wishes, can change the priorities of the Department of Homeland Security on who it seeks to deport.
The Obama administration asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency that handles most deportations, to focus its resources on those who are considered threats to public safety, or are have been convicted of crimes, usually a felony.
Other priorities for deportation include individuals who have been convicted of multiple misdemeanors, and recent arrivals who came here illegally after Jan. 1, 2014.
“Right now, the way the Obama administration is treating it, is unless you are a priority, we won’t actively go after you. Trump can flip that,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, the director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and a former policy advisor at the Department of Homeland Security. more here
The simplest solution is mandatory jail time for the CEO of ANY company caught hiring an illegal, about a year per illegal employee should work.
The problem will then go away within a month.
Just announce that the DOJ will now be enforcing our immigration laws, and that ‘catch and release’ will now mean catch north of the border, and release south of the border.
Huge strides can be made simply by enforcing existing law.
New technology can be used where it is difficult to build a physical wall, such as across canyons and rivers. Sensors can be manned by increased numbers of border patrol officers for quick response.
Enforcing our borders was the #1 issue of the campaign. He needs to move fast – and move hard – on ALL possible fronts.
Just posted: “Obama’s Immigration Executive Orders Can Be Easily Overturned; Trump Administration Expected to Boost Deportations, Spreading Fear Throughout Illegal Alien Communities.”
http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/obamas-immigration-executive-orders-can.html
No wall? How about a 500 yard wide minefield?
do a little search for Sec. of State of Kansas, Kris Kobach, heard him on radio saying he was assisting Trump – mentioned a double fence, 30ft high. space in between for “high-speed interceptor vehicles.”
#MUWHAHAHahahahaha
Mumbo jumbo. He’s building a wall. Mexico is paying for the wall. He’s going to do everything to protect the American worker and any jobs available to Americans. How freakin’ plain does he have to make it for people to understand? Gah!
Congress, a dozen years ago passed a law ordering the wall be built, and appropriated money. Some (a little) progress was made under W, and none under Barry. Simply fulfill the original mandate from congress. There is homeland security $ to get started, send Mexico the bill later. In the meantime, just take the handcuffs off of ICE, and let them do their job.
Once Mexico sees that we are serious, and sending illegals back across the border, Mexico will then stop allowing central american immigrants to pass through.
Tell the criminal invaders that they have a non-negotiable 90 days to freely choose to vacate the country or a massive hammer is going to come down hard on them!
@DDouglas.
Per your link: Trump estimates cost of the wall @12 billion. MIT Tech Review estimates cost of wall @38 billion, which is the entire annual budget of the TWENTY TWO federal agencies WITHIN DHS.
Gut or abolish DHS, starting with the Muslim Brotherhood moles.
Split the difference – 38-12=26 over 4 years = 6.5 billion per yr. Can easily be done. If Congress stonewalls President Trump on this and it doesn’t get built during his first term, the wall will never be brought up again.
I am thrilled to see Kris Kobach on the transition/advisory team.
Enforce current laws. Stop catch and release. Deport all criminal illegals. Fine All businesses that hire illegals where it’s to painful to keep them. Overhaul immigration with extensive vetting (no matter what the cost). Allow work visas wher they have to check in like a felon on probation. Deport if any criminal law is broken.
Allow families already here to apply for visas w/extensive vetting…..this would be one of the priorities along with deporting all criminals.
Watch how fast and effective the border patrol agents become after Jan 21 once the obama shackles are removed.
If anyone says a wall can’t be built, mention this:
Drive along any federal highway near a city and you will see 15 foot high “sound barrier” walls on both sides. These expensive and ineffective WALLS have been built for the past 20 plus years. The original excuse was to reducde the sound near homes that existed BEFORE a highway was built. Now it has morphed into a part of every highway consruction project. They are building walls near new housing projects.
I estimate that there is well over 1000 miles of sound barrier walls already….all wasted money.
Build the wall. Or a double fence like Israel has
The first thing to do is hire real border guards. Pay them $100 a head for every illegal they capture. Send out bounty hunters in each state to round up the rest of them.
You really don’t need a real fence. Once you have a president that does not welcome illegals. Obama was the real problem.
@Am I right – We may not need a real fence with Trump as president, but the dems will get back in power eventually and a tangible for-real wall makes it more difficult for them to encourage another invasion, not to mention keeping out moslems and terrorists (but I repeat myself).