On Thursday, the Obama administration announced that they will now only deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of crimes in this country, more than likely, that means only those convicted of felonies. Perhaps, even more devastating, the administration will also reportedly distribute work permits to those illegal aliens allowed to stay even as U.S. unemployment remains very high.

While the anger among conservative activists and law abiding Americans is palpable, the silence coming from the national Republican Party on this potentially disastrous move has been deafening.

While it is true that Congress is currently on vacation, what Obama has done is grant a blanket amnesty to millions of illegal aliens currently inside the U.S., as well as issue an invitation to untold numbers of people around the world to just ‘get here and you can stay!’

Given the country’s current economic state, adding millions of new job seekers to the already anemic job market could easily result in an actual unemployment rate of 30 percent.

Advertisement Additionally, even if a judge orders an illegal alien to be deported, the administration can simply overturn the decision. Of course, due to overwhelming resistance from the American people, all forms of amnesty have failed time and time again to make it through Congress.

Obama has now essentially declared himself to be more powerful than the courts as well Congress.

So, where are the Republicans?

Not one current GOP presidential candidate has called for Obama’s impeachment over this matter, nor even held a press conference.

Should we be surprised?

In January 2011, it was announced that Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) will head the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement. The California Congressman was chosen for the top job, even though Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was the ranking member of the subcommittee when Democrats controlled the House.

Rep. King has consistently been the loudest voice in the U.S. Congress, calling for strict border enforcement and at times, seemingly the only one on Capitol Hill who is concerned about the public safety crisis caused by illegal immigration.

In 2006, King released the results of a study which found that 12 Americans are murdered daily by illegal aliens, and 13 are killed by drunk illegal alien drivers every day.

That same study also determined that eight American children become victims of sexual abuse by illegal aliens every day, translating into 2,920 child victims annually.

King once said: “Members of Congress that vote for a guest-worker plan ... will be supporting an amnesty plan and they should be branded with the scarlet letter 'A' and pay for that amnesty in the ballot box in November [elections].â€