‘TNTs’ in US welcome Obama’s new immigration policy

WASHINGTON – Undocumented Filipino immigrants in the United States who have a child who is a US citizen or legal permanent resident will be entitled to temporary relief from deportation under a new immigration policy announced by President Barack Obama.

Defying widespread Republican congressional opposition, Obama in a television address on Thursday said he would use his executive powers to shield from deportation as many as 5.2 million illegal immigrants living in the country for more than five years.

They can apply for three-year work authorization from next year provided they have a clean criminal record, pass a background check and pay taxes.

“We whole-heartedly support President Obama’s executive action that provides immigration relief to undocumented immigrants who have made significant contributions to this country, and yet have been denied access to the same opportunities that Americans enjoy,” the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) said in a statement.

There are about 300,000 undocumented Filipinos (called TNTs – tago ng tago or constantly hiding from the law) living in the United States today and NaFFAA spokesman Jon Melegrito estimates about 100,000 of them will be entitled to protection from deportation under the Obama policy.

The Philippine embassy declined immediate comment.

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates as many as 3.7 million unauthorized immigrants who are parents of US citizens or legal permanent residents can apply for temporary relief from deportation under the new deferred action program that Obama unveiled in his prime time TV speech.

In addition, Obama expanded the so-called Dream Act of 2012 that has already deferred the deportations of about 600,000 young unauthorized immigrants brought into the country illegally.

In total, MPI estimates the new deferred action program and expanded Dream Act initiative could benefit as many as 5.2 million people – nearly half of the 11.4 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States.

Republicans quickly denounced Obama’s actions less than two weeks after voters handed them full control of Congress. They said Obama had exceeded his constitutional authority and vowed to fight back.

In his speech Obama said his immigration order, the most sweeping in years, “does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive.”

“Only Congress can do that,” he stressed. “All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.

“You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is.”

In Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed yesterday the announcement of Obama granting immigration relief for undocumented migrants.

“We welcome the recent announcement of President Obama granting immigration relief for undocumented migrants meeting the set criteria,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message to reporters.

“We have asked our foreign service posts in the US to look into this carefully, and determine how we can best help our kababayans avail of the protection offered under this proposal,” Jose said.

‘Dreamers’

Obama traveled Friday to Las Vegas, Nevada to meet with students, including a young woman named Astrid Silva, where he is likely to formally sign an executive order that maybe called “a new deferred action program for parents (DAP) of US Citizens or LPRs (legal permanent residents).”

DAP will be a takeoff from the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) launched in June 2012, an immigration benefit for nearly two million children illegally brought into the country when they were less than 16 years old; entered the country before June 15, 2007; were born after 1981 and had finished high school or GED or joined the US military.

The DACA recipients, euphemistically called “Dreamers.” were granted work permits and were prevented from being deported if they did not commit felony.

The DAP applicants had to be in the US for more than five years at the approval of the executive order. “Individuals will have the opportunity to request temporary relief from deportation and work authorization for three years at a time if they come forward and register, submit biometric data, pass background checks, pay fees and show that their child was born before the date of this announcement.”

NaFFAA national chairman JT Mallonga said Obama’s “bold decision is a step forward in alleviating the plight of millions of undocumented immigrants who have been unfairly treated by our broken immigration system.”

NaFFAA and other national organizations have called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino nationals in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Chris Punongbayan, executive director of Asian American Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, called Obama’s order a “victory” for an estimated 4.9 million undocumented immigrants, including approximately 400,000 Asian immigrants, who will receive temporary relief from deportation.

But it also means that nearly six million people still face the risk of deportation and that Asian immigrants will have to wait decades to join their family members in the United States due to the country’s overwhelming visa backlog. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Joseph Lariosa