A few weeks ago, President Obama announced that due to Congress’ failure to come to an agreement on immigration reform that he would explore all available options for him to take action alone. This would come under the President’s executive power which allows him to make executive orders and bypass the need have the approval of Congress.
It is impossible to say what will happen if President Obama attempts to do something like this, and what it would entail. However, many people have speculated that it is not a matter of if, but when and how far the president will go. Many people believe that a plan is in process right now to implement a program similar to DACA , but would be beneficial to a much larger group of the millions of people currently residing in the U.S. without authorization. It is thought that it will have certain requirements such as a clean criminal history and a certain amount of time residing in the United States, similar to the DACA requirements. It could also potentially have other restrictions such as U.S. citizen children. News outlets have reported that the President feels the need to do something quickly due to Congress’ failure, as well as the surge of immigrant children at the border. These same people have speculated that the President will attempt to move forward with this by the end of the summer or sometime in September. So far, no firm dates or announcements have been made, but we anticipate something within the next few weeks.
Many Republicans are very concerned with the President’s use of the executive power and will likely try to block any attempts by the President to pass this type of reform on his own. There has been talk of impeachment or a lawsuit against the President should he move forward with these plans. This could potentially affect implementation of any executive order. However, the President succeeded with the DACA program and he is consulting with those in many different government departments and government attorneys to see how far he can reach. However, it does appear a near certainty that the President will act soon and do as much as he can to provide immigration benefits for as many people as he can.
It is VERY important to remember that President Obama has not yet done anything, and there is no reform or executive order currently in place. Keep that in mind when speaking with those who say it is currently in effect, as there will certainly be a large amount of fraud. Always speak with an immigration lawyer prior to proceeding with any type of immigration case. Consider preparing as much as possible now should the President take action soon, and consult with an attorney to determine what can be done presently to position yourself as much as possible to take advantage of any upcoming changes.
The attorneys at Wilner & O’Reilly have years of experience in immigration and nationality law. With former immigration officers and board certified immigration specialists, we can provide a very high level of legal advice for any of your immigration needs,. If you have any questions about immigration reform or any other type of immigration case, call us at 714-919-8880 to arrange a FREE consultation .
