Getting Out the Illegal Vote

Allow millions of illegal immigrants in through the back door to sway the 2012 election?  Obama would never do that, you say.  Well, he just took the first step towards doing that yesterday, and scolded a reporter for questioning him about it in the bargain.  He claims it’s not a back-door method.  But then, he’s Obama, and he just violated the U.S. Constitution (Section 1, Article 8-Powers of Congress. “The Congress shall have the Power To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization”) by issuing this fiat.

The new policy he announced yesterday will allow young undocumented immigrants between the ages of 16 and 30 to remain in the country without fear of deportation.  They had to have been brought here as children, have no criminal record, and have a high school diploma.  The announcement already complicates the issue of Arizona’s immigration law, Senate Bill 1080. 

The policy is similar to the Dream Act (Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors), which was first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001, by Dick Durbin (D) and Orrin Hatch.

The Dream Act would provide conditional permanent residency to certain undocumented individuals of good moral character who graduate from U.S. high schools, arrived in the United States as minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment. If they were to complete two years in the military or two years at a four-year institution of higher learning, they would obtain temporary residency for a six-year period. Within the six-year period, they may qualify for permanent residency if they have “acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States” or have “served in the armed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, received an honorable discharge.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit challenging SB 1070 as early as Monday, and many believe the court will allow at least some enjoined parts to go into effect.

Most likely among those is the portion that requires an officer to make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested if there's reasonable suspicion that person is in the country illegally. Another portion penalizes immigrants for not carrying registration papers.

According to Arizonacentral.com, “Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer described the new policy as ‘backdoor amnesty’ and criticized Obama for making what she said was a preemptive strike against the anticipated court ruling.

“’The crux of SB 1070 is documentation. (The president is) going to give documentation to nearly 1 million people who have arrived in the country illegally,’ she said. ‘The timing is unbelievable.’”

“Legal experts say that while Obama’s policy doesn't directly address SB 1070, it could impact it.

“Under SB 1070, if authorities arrest or detain someone because of questions of legal status, local law enforcement would then notify federal immigration officials and the federal officials would then decide which next steps, if any, to take against the person.

“’What the federal government is now saying is: 'If you turn over to us a young person who has grown up in the United States who is what they call a “dreamer,” we are not going to do anything against them,'" said Evelyn Cruz, an immigration-law professor at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

“Also, under SB 1070, individuals can prove their legal status by showing various documents, including an Arizona driver's license.  Immigrants who fall under Obama's new policy can apply for a work permit. Cruz said that work permit will allow them to get an Arizona driver's license.”

David Martin, a University of Virginia School of Law professor who served as deputy general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2011, echoed that.

“I suspect the documents these people get will count as registration documents, so there would no longer be a basis for charging them," he said. “And, even if police stopped and checked, the proper response from (federal immigration authorities) would simply be they are not going to take action against them.”

“’This was an outrageous announcement ... that intends to grant back-door amnesty,’ Gov. Jan Brewer said. ‘It doesn't take a cynic to recognize this action for what it is, blatant political pandering.’”

Clearly, Obama is pandering to the Hispanic-American base for votes.  What’s more worrisome is that such an influx of immigrants legalized by fiat – especially young immigrants armed with driver’s licenses – would tip the upcoming election in his favor.  In fact, it would transform the American electorate forever.

The illegal immigration issue has been Obama’s trump card.  He’s counting on Moderate Republicans’ fear of the Hispanic base – such as it is within the GOP – and younger voters to prevent a challenge to his fiat.  All he needs to do now is follow-through on his promise to legalize marijuana and freedom could be finished, unless there are enough legislators and judges with spines to stand up to this would-be tyrant.

These people are not, as he says, “effectively Americans.”  They’re here illegally, to do nothing more than take advantage of the socialist goodies they’ve been offered – free health care, free education, and free housing.  That’s their idea of “freedom.”

If you have a different notion of freedom, get on the phone to your legislator and volunteer for your state senator’s campaign, before we’re completely overrun and freedom is forever trampled.