President Obama Announces Delay of Deportation Policy Review

President Barack Obama directed DHS Chief Jeh Johnson to delay completing a review of deportation policies until the end of the summer. The overt purpose of this action is to allow Congress more time to act on comprehensive immigration reform this year. Immigration reform has been contemplated with various levels of intensity and feasibility over the past decade, with some recent crescendos in the past two years. Even with the vociferous advocacy to pass comprehensive immigration reform, legislation has not been passed. The primary contention point of immigration reform is granting a path to citizenship for 11.5 million undocumented immigrants who are illegally residing in the country. The current Senate bill includes that pathway and that “amnesty” process is unpalatable to opponents of reform.

Deportation has been a controversial issue during Obama’s presidency. President Obama has deported the most undocumented immigrants out of any president, but he has taken executive actions over the past two years to allay that number. The high rate of deportation, especially during Obama’s first term has attracted vocal disapproval from Latino pushing both political parties for comprehensive reform.

Pro-immigration reform groups released an open letter asking the President to delay executive actions and permit the House of Representatives more time to pass legislation. However, another coalition of pro-immigration reform groups responded with outrage at the lack of executive action, stating that 97,000 undocumented immigrants will be deported over the summer.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association responded to the announcement by exhorting the House of Representatives to act swiftly through the legislative process before executive action is taken.