Obama's Great Amnesty

Young illegal immigrants from all over America are standing in queues for temporary papers promised to them before the elections by Barack Obama. But their parents and elder siblings still face deportation. This is the way the decree of the president works, which will surely help him on November.

It does not happen very often that one presidential decree changes the life of 1.7 million people for the better; however, this is the case. The order, which was unexpectedly issued by President Obama on June 15, entered into force last Wednesday. It states that every illegal immigrant who is less than 31-years-old, arrived in America before the age of 16, has been living here for at least 5 years and is studying or has finished secondary education can now apply for deportation to be postponed for another two years and ask for a work permit.

On the very first days of the amnesty, thousands of young people, mainly Latino, surrounded the information points in Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and other cities, trying to learn about the new situation. They have been provided with counseling by members of non-governmental organizations at their offices, parks and churches. Many of the waiting people feel awkward, as the whole affair seems to be some kind of “coming out”; all of them live in the U.S. illegally.

To date, only a few of them have applied with the Immigration and Citizenship Services, since the charge amounts to as much as $465 and there is no right to appeal involved. Instead, you can reapply for another $465. Therefore, it is so crucial that the applicants submit irrefutable evidence of their being apt for amnesty, be it a high school certificate, a cup for second place won in the school swimming championship or electricity bills. Alternatively, you might show your documents from the tax office. (Undoubtedly, America is the only country in the world where it is feasible to live illegally and simultaneously pay bills lawfully.)

The amnesty is estimated to affect 1.7 million out of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. It is generally assumed that these immigrants constitute the group of those who were brought to the country by their parents and, consequently, are not personally responsible for hopping the border or staying in America longer than legally permitted.

On June 15, when Obama signed the order of amnesty, Republicans were outraged. This was an example of the president ruling by decrees and letting the illegals in through the back door, commented Jay Brewer, Republican governor of Arizona, which is a state known for taking a hard line on immigrants.

Indeed, the decision was taken by the president independently and against the will of Congress. In the first years of his term, Obama attempted to pass the so-called DREAM Act, which would have provided illegal immigrants’ children with the right of residence. But the bill was eventually blocked by the Republicans. This current two-year amnesty involves roughly the same group of people; however, its power is significantly weaker. It does not grant citizenship or a Green Card. In two years’ time, the people will be able to apply for prolongation, provided they have not committed any crimes or serious offences. Their future remains uncertain, however, since the new president could change the law as well.

They are American in their hearts, minds, and every other way except their legal papers, said Obama, who referred to the children of immigrants when he announced the amnesty. The political right commented that those beautiful cliché sentences were underlined with the cynicism of a shameless man buying votes before the election.

In 2008, during the presidential campaign, two-thirds of the Latino votes went to Obama, and only 31 percent of them supported his opponent, Senator John McCain. Afterwards, the immigrants were unpleasantly surprised that the president was not a fairytale prince, as he appeared at first. Indeed, Obama vigorously advocated for the DREAM Act in Congress, but he enforced the immigration law with equal zeal and severity (for a Democrat). In the first three years of his term, 1.2 million people were deported from the U.S., whereas the late Bush administration expelled about 300 thousand illegals a year. The tightened policy was meant to encourage the Republicans to accept the DREAM Act; Obama wanted to sound reliable when offering the “we-give-citizenship-to-the-innocent-and-punish-the-guilty-ones-severely” agreement.

Eventually, the Latinos got the proverbial short end of the stick. The DREAM Act fell through, and the intensive raids and deportations continued. Many human rights’ associations would not hide their disappointment with the Obama policy. Paradoxically enough, the president did not lose support among the Spanish-speaking voters. Just before the amnesty’s announcement, one-third of the Latino citizens were willing to endorse Obama in the election. On the other hand, Mitt Romney, the Republican, could only reckon with one in four Hispanic voters, which is less than the 25 percent garnered by Senator McCain four years ago. The latest polls reveal that nothing has changed since the decree entered into force.

Such course of action is the result of a careful calculation on the part of the Latino population. Obama may not be perfect, but the Republicans, if they won the election, could be a disaster. On television, Romney stated that as far as he is concerned “self-deportation” would be the best solution to the problem of illegal immigration. There should be no rights given to the illegals, no hope for amnesty, and harsh punishment must be imposed on those who employ them. Finally, the immigrants should leave America on their own, having learned there is no point in staying.

Admittedly, the solution was proposed during the Republican primaries, when Romney needed the votes of radicals. But afterwards he did nothing to straighten things out. He criticized Obama’s order as “temporary and inconclusive.” However, he vaguely admitted that “there needs to be a long-term solution” for those who were brought into the country “through no fault of their own.” It is unclear what such a solution would look like, since Romney consequently avoids the subject, as if he’s already thrown in the towel. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he is receiving little support from Latino voters–not only less than Senator McCain did [in 2008], but also much less than President Bush, who twice convinced 40 percent of Hispanics [to vote him into office].

But Mitt Romney is not yet the worst one on the right-wing. On Wednesday, the aforementioned governor of Arizona (according to the local newspapers) showed the middle finger to Obama by answering his decree with her own. She ordered the state administration that the people involved in the amnesty should not be given driving licenses or any other rights, such as free health care for children.

In order to protest against these decrees, a group of 30 illegal immigrants embarked on a bus trip throughout America at the end of June. They are now en route to Charlotte, where the Democratic Party is going to hold a convention in September. Provocatively, they wrote on their bus an inscription that reads, “No papers, no fear,” and want to direct people’s attention to the plight of the bulk of immigrants, approximately 9 million, who will be omitted by the amnesty.

Strangely enough, the last president to choose an ultimate amnesty was Ronald Reagan, a Republican. In 1986, 3 million people were given citizenship (all of those who had lived in the U.S. for at least four years). Although Reagan is considered a demigod by the right, some conservatives dared to criticize his bold decision. According to them, it encouraged the subsequent waves of immigrants, who hoped for new amnesties in the 1990s.