Thread: Options Abound for Executive Action on Immigration

CQ HOMELAND SECURITY
Nov. 24, 2008 – 7:05 p.m.

Options Abound for Executive Action on Immigration

By Caitlin Webber, CQ Staff

Even if comprehensive immigration legislation is a low priority in the 111th Congress, President-elect Barack Obama will have plenty of tools at his disposal for altering the border security and interior enforcement landscape.

The new administration can use executive orders, departmental reviews, regulations and personnel appointments to affect policy without Congress having to weigh in.

And having apparently settled on a Homeland Security secretary in Gov. Janet Napolitano , D-Ariz., viewed as possessing border security credentials, such a strategy makes sense, with the president otherwise engaged in confronting economic troubles at home and war and terrorism abroad.

Likely to be high on the immigration to-do list: re-examining the stepped-up worksite enforcement conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent months.

Human rights and immigrant advocates have blasted the raids, which are effective at netting large groups of illegal workers but can create public relations problems.

“I think that the Obama administration is definitely going to dial back on workplace raids, but I don’t see them putting it that way,â€

Just watch I bet Napolitano will screw us over on this real soon!!