Thread: Sen. Sessions heats rhetoric about new illegal immigrant policy

June 15, 2012
Neal Vickers
Examiner.com

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions lashed out at President Barack Obama Friday about a new policy creating the opportunity for some illegal aliens to avoid deportation while living and working in the United States.

Sessions says, “the Obama administration has openly declared to the American people that it is determined to contravene the immigration laws of the United States, circumventing the will of the people and authority of its representatives in Congress.”

During a Rose Garden ceremony Friday, the President announced his administration is going to make “eligible individuals who do not present a risk to national security or public safety will be able to request temporary relief from deportation proceedings and apply for work authorization.”

He called it “the right thing to do” in the absence of Congressional action to deal with the immigration issue.

Obama says he joined John McCain, Ted Kennedy and President Bush six years ago in the Senate supporting efforts for the same kind of reform, called the DREAM Act.

Sessions says the initiative goes far beyond the DREAM Act, criticized by some as a backdoor effort to provide illegal aliens mass amnesty and citizenship.

“This is not amnesty, this is not immunity,” said the President announcing the measure while dealing with hecklers in the crowd. “This is not a path to citizenship. It's not a permanent fix. This is a temporary stopgap measure ...”

In response to one person in the crowd accusing him of putting illegal aliens above American workers, Obama responded, “Here’s the reason: because these young people are going to make extraordinary contributions, and are already making contributions to our society.”

“Presidents do not have the luxury of choosing which laws to enforce and which to discard,” said Sessions responding to the President’s announcement. “All Americans, both immigrant and native born, will have a better future if America remains unique among nations for the special reverence it places in the impartial, dutiful application of the law.”

Sessions’ home state currently faces a federal lawsuit brought by the Obama administration challenging the new Alabama immigration law, billed as the toughest in the nation. The U.S. Justice Department claims the law is unconstitutional and a violation of civil rights.

Obama called his new immigration policy an effort to mend the national immigration policy, some state lawmakers say is in need of serious overhaul.

Estimates are there are more than 20-million illegal immigrants in the United States today, and some statistics estimate the number may actually be double that.

Sessions says the new policy has almost no enforceable limits and requirements. He says the policy is not limited to just those who came here as children.

The pro-immigration group Reform Immigration for America responded to the announcement posting on thier web site, "While this is an exciting moment for the immigration reform movement, it is not an ultimate victory. This policy expansion still does not provide a path to citizenship for DREAMers. There is still a dire need for a national DREAM Act. The struggle continues, and electing pro-DREAM champions into office this November is as important as it has ever been."

“And while the administration purports that one has to have entered the country prior to the age of 16, it is a completely unenforceable and unverifiable standard,” says Sessions. “It will have a dramatic and adverse effect on ordinary enforcement activities.”

“We still need to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” said The President. “Reform that continues to improve our border security, and lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”

Sessions says the focus should be on stopping the flow of illegal immigrants across the porous borders. “The first task is to end the illegality, only then will we be able to join together in a united fashion to solve these complex, emotional issues in a principled and humane way for all.”

One Old Vet

Sessions heats rhetoric about new illegal immigrant policy - Birmingham Political Buzz | Examiner.com

How does he dare even suggest that we will ever join together in a united fashion without 100% deportation of illegals?

He uses the well worn and irritating term "comprehensive immigratioan reform." Does'nt that interpret as some for of amnesty for illegals here? There goes that party still hanging onto RR never did any harm. Do they think that they are Gods that can restore my son's and others lives lost because of RR's granted amnesty? Any amnesty going to be provided for those like Kevin and the Inman boy. They cannot buy us off like they did so many others, some desrving some not but like they bought off American Indian, Blacks, Japanese. By their own admission they are broke. I'd slap their hand away if offered, but wonder if they've even considered making amends for the harm government has done?