LOS ANGELES – Over a hundred activists, undocumented immigrants, and supporters held a prayer vigil on Wednesday, August 6 at McArthur Park in Downtown Los Angeles to call on President Barack Obama to extend administrative relief, particularly to the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who are now facing deportation.
Obama recently expressed his intent to use executive powers to provide legalization to millions of undocumented immigrants in America. He said that the resulting administrative relief could be something similar to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that he ordered in 2012.
Sean Tan, a Filipino DACA grantee, said that his family would greatly benefit form administrative relief, in the same way that he did with DACA.
“We don’t want any deportations of the Central American children. But also, as a DACA recipient, I know the benefits of administrative relief. It has helped me in college [and]…find a job. If there are any plans of administrative relief extended to parents, definitely my parents would benefit. All my family is undocumented,” Tan said to Balitang America.
In the advocates’ continued push for administrative relief, they are trying to emphasize the importance of the relief to the lives of the thousands of immigrant families it will impact. However, they are also aware that administrative relief and executive orders cannot provide a permanent solution to the immigration issues.
By definition, executive orders can expire when the President, who enacted them, leaves office. Obama’s second term is due to expire in 2016.
In spite of the newfound hope in Obama’s words, the advocates are also calling on Congress to provide legislation that can serve as a more permanent fix to the broken immigration system.
Tan, for his part, remains hopeful that administrative relief can be extended to his family.
“But at the same time I want something more permanent, for Congress to act on immigration reform,” said Tan to Balitang America.
(With reports from Balitang America)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend August 9-12 Sec A pg.1)
