Thread: Administration Attempts to Downplay USCIS Memo

Administration Attempts to Downplay USCIS Memo

Updated Friday, July 30, 2010, 2:03 PM EDT - posted on NumbersUSA

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs downplayed the USCIS memo that surfaced on Thursday and details 18 different ways administrative actions could be used to provide amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Gibbs said the White House is committed to a comprehensive approach that would involve Congressional action.

The stated purpose of the USCIS memo was to provide "administrative relief options to promote family unity, foster economic growth, achieve significant process improvements and reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization."

I have not seen these memos. I don't think they've circulated a lot through this White House.

This Administration believes that the only way to deal with this is to do it comprehensively. To do it through Congress with Democrats and Republicans working together. We've done it before with members like John McCain, members like Lindsey Graham, working with Democrats like Barack Obama when he was in the Senate. We can do that again. We can deal with the problem once and for all. We can secure our borders as the President has talked about moving 1,200 national guard troops to secure the borders. I think we can deal with this comprehensively if we all just take a step back and deal with the problem.

-- Robert Gibbs on Fox News, White House Press Secretary

The USCIS also downplayed the memo's purpose in a press release issued late Thursday. The department said the memo was never signed and never made its way to its intended recipient USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas.

Internal draft memos do not and should not be equated with official action or policy of the Department. We will not comment on notional, pre-decisional memos. As a matter of good government, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will discuss just about every issue that comes within the purview of the immigration system. We continue to maintain that comprehensive bipartisan legislation, coupled with smart, effective enforcement, is the only solution to our nation’s immigration challenges.

Internal memoranda help us do the thinking that leads to important changes; some of them are adopted and others are rejected. Our goal is to implement policies wisely and well to strengthen all aspects of our mission. The choices we have made so far have strengthened both the enforcement and services sides of USCIS — nobody should mistake deliberation and exchange of ideas for final decisions. To be clear, DHS will not grant deferred action or humanitarian parole to the nation’s entire illegal immigrant population.

-- USCIS Press Release

Amnesty opponents have been asking the Administration to comment on the proposed amnesty plan for more than a month. Two letters, drafted by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and 11 other Senators, were sent to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, but neither letter received a response.

This memo gives credence to our concerns that the administration will go to great lengths to circumvent Congress and unilaterally execute a backdoor amnesty plan.

-- Sen. Grassley in the Washington Times

Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) also offered a comment on the memo, saying that the memo proves that the Administration has no plan to enforce existing immigration laws.

The Obama administration is conspiring to implement amnesty without any Congressional action.

Once again, the Obama administration says one thing and does another. The President has promised border security and immigration enforcement. He has said we must hold individuals accountable for their illegal acts. And, in suing the State of Arizona, the administration argued that it is their responsibility to enforce the laws.

But now we find out the truth: while saying one thing to the public, the Obama administration is scheming to ensure that immigration laws are not enforced!

How to deal with the millions of illegal immigrants in the country is a question for the people’s representatives in Congress and not for unaccountable federal bureaucrats.

This is an insult to millions of unemployed citizens and legal immigrants who have to compete with illegal immigrants for scarce jobs. The Obama administration needs to stop its scheming and put American’s interests first.

-- Rep. Lamar Smith

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/ ... -memo.html

To do it through Congress. How? With more arm twisting, payoffs or the plain old nuclear option? Does anyone trust these people?

The fact there was a memo tells me they are NOT working to protect citizens nor are the following our immigration laws.

They were scheming behind our backs trying to help Illegals gain citizenship against the wishes of a majority of US Citizens.

They deserve to be FIRED Immediatly since they have proven they do not intend to do their jobs they were hired to do.WE pay their salaries while they stab us in the back !!