Opinion: “Immigration Action is Here to Stay”

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) criticized a Federal District Court order temporarily halting the President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“When President Obama announced his executive actions in November, he was following the precedents set by numerous Presidents from both parties. Congress has explicitly authorized the Department of Homeland Security to exercise prosecutorial discretion and set enforcement priorities. The President’s action does exactly that–it acknowledges that immigrants who work hard and obey the law are not deportation priorities.” said Rep. Chu. “Our government should not be in the business of separating parents from children, yet that is exactly what this decision attempts to do. These actions will not burden states as the lawsuit argues, they will help them grow enormously. By bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, we are going to grow our labor force, increase productivity, and add about $90 billion to our GDP in the next 10 years.”

“DACA and DAPA marked historic moments for immigration reform,” continued Rep. Chu. “I have seen the immense enthusiasm from my constituents who will be able to continue their education and work without fear of separation. The court’s decision is just a temporary roadblock, that we will overcome. Immigration action is here stay. The President’s actions are legally sound, morally right, and ultimately the right policy for our country.”

On November 20, 2014, the President announced a series of executive actions that narrowed the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement priorities and is expected to defer deportation for approximately 4.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. The two biggest initiatives include an expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program. The DACA program expands the population eligible individuals to those of any age who entered by U.S. before the age of 16 and lived in U.S. continuously since January 1, 2010. The DAPA program allows parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to request deferred action and employment authorization for three years, provided they have lived in the U.S .continuously since January 1, 2010, and pass required background checks.