President Obama answers questions on executive action

On Dec. 9, 2014, President Obama attended a town hall meeting in Nashville Tennessee, where he answered questions from those in attendance and further explained the benefits of his recent Executive Action (EA).

The full transcript of that town hall meeting can be found on the Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/09/remarks-president-immigration-town-hall-nashville-tennessee. However, I will summarize some of the key points of that town hall meeting.

The purpose behind Obama’s EA is to “focus our enforcement resources on people who actually pose a threat to our communities – felons rather than families, and criminals rather than children. We’re going to bring more undocumented immigrants out of the shadows so they can play by the rules – they have to pass a criminal background check, pay taxes, and contribute more fully to our economy.” The EA, “isn’t an amnesty, or legalization, or even a path to citizenship.” But, if a person has “deep ties to this country and you are willing to get right by the law and do what you need to do, then you shouldn’t have to worry about being deported or being separated from your kids.”

During the town hall meeting, he was asked several questions, including:

Q:  What is going to happen if the next administration decides not to follow... your executive action?

A: “We can’t deport 11 million people and it would be foolish to try, as well as I think wrong for us to try… A future administration might try to reverse some of our policies. But I’ll be honest with you. I think that the American people basically have a good heart and want to treat people fairly. And every survey shows that if, in fact, somebody has come out, subjected themselves to a background check, registered, paid their taxes, that the American people support allowing them to stay. So I think any future administration that tried to punish people for doing the right thing I think would not have the support of the American people.”

Q: What is your administration going to do to get… people to feel safe to apply for this program…?

A: “People …can get an actual piece of paper approval notice that says they can work here…  But the registration process, if you qualify, is powerful because you’re now able to go to work without being in the shadows, and you’re paying taxes, which is good for everybody, because we want people to be above board and to do things the right way.…When we do get to passing a law, finally, I think those who have taken the time to register for DACA or DAPA, pay taxes, gone through a criminal background check, they’ve got documentation and proof that they’ve done all that, they’re going to have an easier time then qualifying, I think, for a more permanent legal status because they will have already gone through the screening. And that’s one incentive for why people should want to sign up.”

As you can see, President Obama believes that DACA and DAPA will continue even if there is a change in administrations. He also believes that once Congress finally passes comprehensive immigration reform, those people who already applied for these benefits will have an “easier time” qualifying for legalization.

If you believe you are eligible or qualify for President Obama’s executive action, you should seek the advice of an attorney who can evaluate your entire immigration situation. As you can see, even President Obama is encouraging people to “come out of the shadows,”and take advantage of this marvelous opportunity.

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