Barack Obama Part Eighteen

Obama Takes Executive Action on Immigration

On November 20, 2014, President Obama delivered a televised address to the nation announcing the elements of his executive order on immigration, an executive order that usurped, for the Executive branch of government, the legislative authority and role of Congress. In a measure that was expected to affect some 5 million immigrants, the president said that the U.S. would not seek to deport any illegal immigrants who had "[have] been in America more than five years"; who "have children who are American citizens or legal residents"; who could "pass a criminal background check and [be] willing to pay your fair share of taxes." His remarks included the following:

For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations.... But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it. Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.

It's been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven't done much about it. When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history.... Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.

Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn't perfect. It was a compromise, but it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents, while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of a bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.

Now, I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President -- the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me -- that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just. Tonight, I am announcing those actions.

First, we'll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over. Second, I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed. Third, we'll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.

I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable -- especially those who may be dangerous. That's why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent. And that's why we're going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who's working hard to provide for her kids. We'll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.

But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants -- in every state, of every race and nationality -- will still live here illegally. And let's be honest -- tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn't realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn't being straight with you. It's also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here, and their hopes, dreams, and patriotism are just like ours....

Now here's the thing: we expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect that those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we're going to offer the following deal: If you've been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you're willing to pay your fair share of taxes -- you'll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily, without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law.

That's what this deal is. Now let's be clear about what it isn't. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently. It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive -- only Congress can do that. All we're saying is we're not going to deport you.

I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it's not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today -- millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time. That's the real amnesty -- leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I'm describing is accountability -- a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you're a criminal, you'll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.

The actions I'm taking are not only lawful, they're the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every single Democratic President for the past half century. And to those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.... Congress certainly shouldn't shut down our government again just because we disagree on this. Americans are tired of gridlock....

Most Americans support the types of reforms I've talked about tonight. But I understand the disagreements held by many of you at home. Millions of us, myself included, go back generations in this country, with ancestors who put in the painstaking work to become citizens. So we don't like the notion that anyone might get a free pass to American citizenship. I know that some worry immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or take our jobs, or stick it to middle-class families at a time when they already feel like they've gotten the raw end of the deal for over a decade. I hear these concerns. But that's not what these steps would do. Our history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. And I believe it's important that all of us have this debate without impugning each other's character.

Because for all the back-and-forth of Washington, we have to remember that this debate is about something bigger. It's about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations.

Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future?

Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together?...

Over the past few years, I have seen the determination of immigrant fathers who worked two or three jobs, without taking a dime from the government, and at risk at any moment of losing it all, just to build a better life for their kids. I've seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn't have the right papers. I've seen the courage of students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as Malia or Sasha; students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in a country they love. These people -- our neighbors, our classmates, our friends -- they did not come here in search of a free ride or an easy life. They came to work, and study, and serve in our military, and above all, contribute to America's success....

Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger -- we were strangers once, too. My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal -- that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.

That's the country our parents and grandparents and generations before them built for us. That's the tradition we must uphold. That's the legacy we must leave for those who are yet to come.

The Lies in Obama's Immigration Speech

On November 21, 2014, Daniel Horowitz analyzed Obama's speech and exposed its 10 most egregious lies:

Lie #1: Every President has Taken Executive Action on Immigration: No other president has ever issued an amnesty of anywhere near this scope, created it out of thin air, or built it upon a prior executive action instead of a statute. And in the case of President Eisenhower, his executive action was to deport 80,000 illegal immigrants.

Lie #2: Illegal Immigrant Crossings are Down: Actually, this is the third straight year that border crossings have gone up, not to mention the entirely new wave from Central America.

Lie #3: It does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently: Under the royal edict, the work permits can be renewed every three years, and most likely, they will be renewed at the same 99.5% acceptance rate as DACA applications.  And once they get Social Security cards, they are going nowhere.  So yes, this is permanent.  And yes, they will be able to get green cards, which puts them on an automatic path to citizenship: “we are reducing the time that families are separated while obtaining their green cards.  Undocumented immigrants who are immediate relatives of lawful permanent residents or sons or daughters of US citizens can apply to get a waiver if a visa is available.”

Lie #4: Only 5 Million: Make no mistake about it.  Obama’s illegal amnesty will not just apply to 5 million individuals.  It will apply by default to all 12-20 million illegals in the country as well as the millions more who will now come here to enjoy the permanent cessation of borders and sovereignty.  Given the numerous options for people to become eligible for amnesty, ICE and CPB will be restricted from enforcing the law against anyone because each individual has to be afforded the opportunity to present themselves and apply for status.  There is no way those who were here for less than 5 years will be deported and there’s no way the new people rushing the border and overstaying their visas will be repatriated.

Lie #5: Deport Felons: Obama claims he is going to focus on deporting felons. Yet, he has done the opposite.  36,000 convicted criminal aliens were released last year, 80,000 criminal aliens encountered by ICE weren’t even placed into deportation proceedings, 167,000 criminal aliens who were ordered deported are still at large, 341,000 criminal aliens released by ICE without deportation orders are known to be free and at large in the US.  Again, this is cessation of deportations for everyone. They are leaving no illegal behind.

Lie #6: Don’t deport families: Obama is playing the family card. It works like this: people are encouraged to come here illegally, Obama grants them amnesty, then their relatives all get to come, even though they would otherwise be ineligible under public charge laws.  Yet, at the same time, because the bureaucracy will be flooded with applications of illegals, and those are the applications that will be prioritized, those families who came here legally will have to wait longer to be united. There is no longer an incentive to enter the legal immigration process.

Lie #7: They have to pay taxes to stay: Aside from the absurd notion that they would turn someone away for not paying taxes, almost every one of these illegal immigrants lacks a high enough income to incur a net positive tax liability.  Hence, by paying taxes, he actually means they will collect refundable tax credits!

Lie #8: Background Checks: Just the thought of a criminal background check of people coming from the third world on a lawless program is a joke.  But the reality is that Obama has already done this with DACA, and 99.5% of applications were approved, including those of criminals.

Lie #9: Cracking Down on Illegal Immigration at the Border: Obama promises to beef up resources at the border.  But as we’ve seen over the past few years, what good are more agents if they are explicitly intimidated into turning a blind eye.  Moreover, there is no promise to build a fence or implement a visa tracking system, so any talk of enforcement is an insult to our intelligence.  Moreover, he is unilaterally abolishing the Secure Communities program, the only successful interior enforcement program left after he abolished 287g state-federal cooperation in 2012.  At a time when we are facing threats from Islamic terror and deadly diseases, this invitation to the world will present a security nightmare.

Lie #10: Scripture tells us, we shall not oppress a stranger: It’s great to see him quoting the Bible for once, but nice try.  There are different variations of this verse throughout the Bible, but each one uses the Hebrew word “Ger” to describe what Obama translates as “stranger.”  A Ger is a convert to Judaism.  The commandment was not referring to people who illegally migrate to a nation state.  And more importantly, it is downright offensive to Americans to insinuate that not granting them benefits is tantamount to oppression, especially given the fact that they have been the biggest recipients of our generous legal system.  Moreover, if there is oppression taking place it is to the American taxpayer and worker and those who suffer from gangs like MS-13.

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Avik Roy debunked, in particular, Obama's assertion that the illegals affected by Obama's executive order would pay whatever back taxes they owed. Wrote Roy:

President Obama says that his executive order will ensure that currently illegal immigrants will have to “pay their fair share of taxes.” But the vast majority of undocumented aliens don’t make enough in income to have a net income-tax liability. As I note in Forbes, a 2006 analysis by the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, concludes that “we can be virtually certain that illegal immigrants earned less than $24,000 per year, on average, probably much less.” That amounts to around $29,000 in 2014 dollars, well below the threshold where an American has a net income-tax liability.

Legalizing this population is unlikely to result in significantly higher payroll-tax revenue, because many illegals have fake Social Security numbers that their employers use to pay payroll taxes on their behalf. Century estimates that “about $6 billion in annual payroll taxes are allocated to non-existent Social Security accounts.... This sum is certainly more than any income taxes that would be owed on the earnings involved.”

Century concludes that “it is likely that the undocumented workers will end up receiving rather than paying the Treasury money.”

When Obama announced his executive action, he insisted that: “It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive—only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.” But Frontpage Magazine journalist Arnold Ahlert pointed out that the president's claim was untrue:

"The status conferred by the president activates the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which states that the government 'will pay monthly title II and title XVIII benefits to a claimant/beneficiary who is present in the U.S. and who is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawfully present alien as determined by the Attorney General.' It further states that payment provisions 'apply to retirement, survivors or disability benefits. This rule also applies to payments made for Medicare services rendered.'

"Illegals would be required to pay a Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, which includes separate payments made to Medicare and Social Security. Once they do that, benefits await. 'If they pay in, they can draw,' White House spokesman Shawn Turner [said]."

How Much Obama's Immigration Executive Order Will Cost American Taxpayers

According to Heritage Foundation budget analyst Robert Rector, President Obama’s executive order legalizing several million immigrants would cost American taxpayers approximately $2 trillion, or roughly $40 billion a year, over the course of the ensuing five decades. As the Daily Caller reported: "The $2 trillion cost is driven by the federal government’s support for all poor people, says Robert Rector ... [who] explained that, on average, the illegal immigrants benefiting from the amnesty have a 10th grade education. That low education ensures they can’t earn enough money, or pay enough taxes, to pay for the many benefits they’ll get if they progress from temporary residents to legal residents and then to citizens, Rector said. These various benefits add up to roughly $50,000 a year for each household, but those households can and do pay only about $13,000 a year in federal taxes, leaving a gap of roughly $40,000 between payments and benefits, Rector said."

Illegals Affected by Obama's Executive Action Will Be Eligible for Federal Benefits

On January 16, 2015, Breitbart.com reported that according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), by 2017 approximately 2 million of the illegal immigrants affected by Obama's executive action would become eligible for certain federal benefits due to their new status and work authorizations. Said the CBO report: “Those who are approved for deferred action are considered lawfully present in the country but do not gain legal status. They can, and most do, receive authorization to work. Because they are lawfully present during the period of their deferred status, they are eligible to receive Medicare and Social Security benefits if they meet the programs’ requirements.... In addition, those individuals who are approved for deferred action and receive work authorization have Social Security numbers and therefore can claim the earned income tax credit if they qualify.”

Obama Unwittingly Admits That His Executive Order Violates the Constitution

During a November 25, 2014 address in Chicago, Obama, who had theretofore argued that his recently issued executive amnesty order was well within the bounds of existing law, was heckled for several minutes by immigration protesters who claimed that he was permitting too many illegals to be deported. Eventually Obama said to the heclers: "Now, you're absolutely right that there have been significant numbers of deportations. That's true. But what you are not paying attention to is the fact that I just took an action to change the law.... It doesn't make much sense to yell at me right now, when we're making changes."

As The Weekly Standard pointed out in its report on this incident: "The United States Constitution says the legislative power is held by Congress, not by the president."

DHS Issues New Immigration Guidelines

In response to President Obama's executive order on immigration and deportations, the Department of Homeland Security on November 21, 2014 issued a new set of "Policies for the Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants" to serve as guidelines for all immigration and border-security officers tasked with administering Obama's directive. The Washington Examiner reported:

The new priorities are striking. On the tough side, the president wants U.S. immigration authorities to go after terrorists, felons, and new illegal border crossers. On the not-so-tough side, the administration views convicted drunk drivers, sex abusers, drug dealers, and gun offenders as second-level enforcement priorities. An illegal immigrant could spend up to a year in prison for a violent crime and still not be a top removal priority for the Obama administration.

In the memo, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson says his department must develop "smart enforcement priorities" to exercise "prosecutorial discretion" in order to best use his agency's limited resources. Johnson establishes three enforcement priority levels to guide DHS officers as they decide whether to stop, hold, or prosecute an illegal immigrant.

Priority one is the "highest priority to which enforcement resources should be directed," the memo says. The category includes "aliens engaged in or suspected of terrorism or espionage, or who otherwise pose a danger to national security." It also includes "aliens apprehended at the border or ports of entry while attempting to unlawfully enter the United States." In addition, any illegal immigrant convicted of an offense involving a criminal street gang, or convicted of a felony -- provided that immigration status was not an "essential element" of the charge -- is targeted. Finally, any illegal immigrant convicted of an aggravated felony is included in Priority One.

The guidelines say Priority One aliens "must be prioritized" for deportation unless they qualify for asylum or unless there are "compelling and exceptional" factors that indicate the alien is not a threat.

Priority two offenders, whose cases are less urgent then criminals in priority one, include the following: aliens convicted of a "significant misdemeanor," which for these purposes is an offense of domestic violence; sexual abuse or exploitation; burglary; unlawful possession or use of a firearm; drug distribution or trafficking; or driving under the influence; or if not an offense listed above, one for which the individual was sentenced to time in custody of 90 days or more.... Priority two also includes "aliens convicted of three or more misdemeanor offenses, other than minor traffic offenses or state or local offenses for which an essential element was the alien's immigration status." But there's an important footnote to that. The three offenses must arise out of three separate incidents. If an illegal immigrant committed a single act that resulted in multiple misdemeanor charges, it would count as one charge for DHS counting purposes.

The guidelines say priority two aliens "should" be removed — not "must," as with priority one — unless they qualify for asylum or there are "factors" indicating the alien is not a threat. It's a significantly lower standard than priority one.

Finally, priority three includes those who have simply violated the nation's immigration laws seriously enough to have been issued a final order of removal. The DHS memo describes them as the "lowest priority for apprehension and removal." They can be allowed to stay not only if they qualify for asylum but also if, "in the judgment of an immigration officer, the alien is not a threat to the integrity of the immigration system or there are factors suggesting the alien should not be an enforcement priority." In practice, that could prove a remarkably lenient standard....

In addition, an illegal immigrant can run up a significant number of misdemeanor convictions — not arrests, not charges, but convictions — and still fall short qualifying for deportation. The president's new policies will likely make a number of illegal immigrants who are also criminals very happy.

Obama Never Actually Signed the Immigration Executive Order

In early December 2014, Jerome Corsi reported that the two executive orders Obama had signed in Las Vegas on November 21 were: (a) a presidential proclamation creating a White House Task Force on New Americans, and (b) a presidential memorandum "instructing the secretaries of State and [Department of] Homeland Security to consult with various governmental and non-governmental entities to reduce costs and improve service in issuing immigrant and non-immigrant visas." But Obama had never actually signed an executive order directing DHS to forgive 5 million illegal aliens for their past violations of immigration law. As National Archives Administration librarian Jeffrey Hartley put it: “[I]t would appear that there is not an Executive Order stemming from the President’s remarks on November 20 on immigration.”

Radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh explained Obama's motivation for not signing that order: “Do you know that Obama has not signed any executive action or order for this? Folks, this is even more corrupt than anybody conceived! He just wrote a memo instructing Homeland Security not to deport 5 million people. There is no actual executive order. The reason for this is abundantly clear. If anybody wants to prosecute this, what do you prosecute? There’s no executive order. There’s no person to go focus on.”

Limbaugh's analysis spoke to the fact that the attorneys general in 17 states had recently filed a lawsuit charging that Obama’s immigration action violated the U.S. Constitution.

Judge Rules That Obama's Executive Action on Immigration Is Unconstitutional

On December 16, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Schwab (in Pennsylvania) -- writing in response to a criminal case against a Honduran illegal immigrant who had returned to the U.S. after previously having been deported -- stated that parts of President Obama's recent executive action on immigration were unconstitutional. "President Obama's unilateral legislative action violates the separation of powers provided for in the United States Constitution as well as the Take Care Clause, and therefore, is unconstitutional," the judge wrote. Schwab added that the action went beyond the bounds of so-called "prosecutorial discretion" -- which the administration had cited to justify its decision to suspend deportations. The judge also cited Obama's argument that executive action was necessary because of Congress's failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, and countered: "Congressional inaction does not endow legislative power with the Executive."

Under Obama's Executive Amnesty, Illegal Aliens in Prison Are Released and Made Eligible for Work Permits

In January 2015, a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies indicated that under President Obama’s executive amnesty, certain illegal aliens were being released from detention facilities and made eligible for work permits. Said the report: “Starting almost immediately after the president’s announcement in November, ICE offices around the country were directed to go through their caseload of illegal aliens in the process of being deported and start releasing all those who by the stroke of the president’s pen were no longer priorities for enforcement. And, under current policy, many of these illegal aliens – many of whom have criminal records and/or prior deportations — are getting work permits too.”

Between Obama's November 2014 announcement of his executive amnesty and the end of that year, ICE released more than 600 detained immigrants from custody. That number included detainees who appeared to qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal Permanent Residents (DAPA), as well those individuals whose case histories no longer fall within the range of DHS’s (new) enforcement priorities.

The CIS report added: “These aren’t even necessarily people with family, kids, ties or equities in the United States. This directive/policy toward ‘non-priorities’ applies to anyone simply in the United States as of January 1, 2014 with no significant criminal convictions. Yet even if they were ordered deported by a court and are actually IN custody, awaiting removal, per this order, we now cannot execute that order or detain them, as a ‘non-priority.’  And yes, many will qualify in some way for work permits and leave to remain in the United States.”

The report gave additional details about the types of people who were being released:

Illegal aliens with pending criminal cases;

Illegal aliens criminal charges that were dismissed or dropped (sometimes local prosecutors drop charges because they believe the alien will be deported);

Illegal aliens with significant traffic violations, usually drunk driving, but also vehicle theft and hit & run ;

Illegal aliens who have been deported once or many times before, but who have minor or no criminal convictions, and who are often filing last-ditch asylum claims;

Illegal aliens without criminal convictions who are contesting deportation in protracted court cases (at taxpayer expense), which will now be dropped;

Illegal aliens already ordered deported who are awaiting travel documents, which in some cases are deliberately delayed by their home countries.

Obama's Executive Action on Deportation Makes It Easier for Illegal Immigrants to Vote

On February 12, 2015, state elections officials testifying before Congress said that President Obama’s executive action on deportation—by which illegal immigrants would be granted driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers—would make it easier for them to improperly register and vote in elections. While noting that it would still be illegal for noncitizens to vote, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said they did not have the tools to locate and identify illegals who might register anyway. As Husted explained, mass registration drives often overwhelm the capacity of authorities—whose offices have limited manpower—to verify the citizenship status of all registrants and voters. And Kobach, reported the Washington Times, “said even some motor vehicle bureau workers automatically ask customers if they want to register to vote, which some noncitizens in the past have cited as their reason for breaking the law to register.” “It’s a guarantee it will happen,” Kobach stated.

Obama Says Only "Some Native Americans" Have a Right to Object to Open Borders; Implies That the United States Was Formed Illegitimately

In a November 24, 2014 speech in Chicago, President Obama said: “There have been periods where the folks who were already here suddenly say, ‘Well, I don’t want those folks,’ even though the only people who have the right to say that are some Native Americans.... Sometimes we get attached to our particular tribe, our particular race, our particular religion, and then we start treating other folks differently.... That, sometimes, has been a bottleneck to how we think about immigration.... Whether we cross the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we all shared one thing, and that’s the hope that America would be the place where we could believe as we choose ... and that the law would be enforced equally for everybody, regardless of what you look like or what your last name was.”

Obama Likens Jesus, Mary and Joesph to Illegal Immigrants

At an immigration town hall in Nashville in December 2014, President Obama said: “If we’re serious about the Christmas season, now is the time to reflect on those who are strangers in our midst and remember what it was like to be a stranger.” He described Jesus's parents, Mary and Joseph, as a “soon to be mother” and “a husband of modest means” who were seeking a place to stay but were heartbroken to find that there was no room at the inn. "As I said the day that I announced these executive actions [on immigration] that we were once strangers too," added Obama, "and part of what my faith teaches me is to look upon the stranger as part of myself. And during this Christmas season that’s a good place to start.... I think the good book says, you know, ‘Don’t throw stones in glass houses…’"

As one blog noted in response: "Once again the supposedly deeply devout Obama betrays his abject ignorance Christianity and in this case, the Christmas story. Mary and Joseph were not homeless. They were not illegal aliens. They were only in Bethlehem because they had to go there to play their taxes. (Which is something illegal aliens are not bothered with.) They were not strangers in a strange land, either. Joseph was born in Bethlehem. Which is why he had to go back there to pay his taxes. It was the law. (It’s about 79 miles from Bethlehem to Nazareth.) [The 'don't throw stones' reference] isn’t from the Bible, either. It’s an English proverb mentioned by Chaucer. (Circa 1385.)"

Obama Administration Has Issued 5.5 Million Work Permits to Non-Citizens Without Congressional Approval

In February 2015, the Washington Times reported that from 2009 through 2014, the Obama administration had issued, via administrative action – i.e., without Congressional authorization – roughly 5.5 million work permits to non-citizens. That number included some 957,200 people who had entered the U.S. without being inspected, 23,215 parolees, almost 1,000 stowaways, and 49 people suspected of document fraud. These 5.5 million work permits were an addition to the 5 million green cards and 3.5 million guest worker permits which Congress authorized during the same 2009-14 period.

Illegals Will Be Eligible for Back Tax Credits

On February 14, 2015, My Way News reported: "Armed with new Social Security numbers, many of these immigrants [benefiting from President Obama's executive actions] who were living in the U.S. illegally will now be able to claim up to four years' worth of tax credits designed to benefit the working poor. For big families, that's a maximum of nearly $24,000, as long as they can document their earnings during those years."

Executive Amnesty Contains Hidden Path to Citizenship

On February 13, 2015, House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.) penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson stating that President Obama’s recent executive orders on immigration included provisions that “place potentially hundreds of thousands of unlawful immigrants on a path to citizenship.” “Your Department’s recent changes to this deferred action program seem to be a sneaky attempt to place potentially hundreds of thousands of unlawful immigrants on a path to citizenship,” wrote Goodlatte.

At issue was the fact that is that DHS allowed the illegal immigrants who enrolled in Obama's deferred action (DACA) program to apply for advanced parole status. Said Goodlatte: “As you know, when an individual receives advance parole, upon return to the United States the individual can then be eligible to adjust to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. And as you know, lawful permanent resident status is the precursor to U.S. citizenship.  A simple search of the Internet reveals that immigration reform advocacy groups and immigration benefits law practices are fully aware of the path to citizenship that is afforded to DACA recipients through advance parole.”

Goodlatte wrote his letter after U.S. Customs and Immigration Services staffers had told his office that 88 percent of illegal immigrants who had applied for advance parole through the deferred action program in the previous two years had had their requests approved.

Federal Judge Blocks Obama's Executive Action on Deportation

On February 16, 2015, Texas Federal Judge Andrew S. Hanen, ruling on a lawsuit filed by 26 states seeking to block President Obama’s November 2014 executive action on deportation, issued a 123-page judgment that did in fact block it. Known as Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), Obama's action authorized the dissemination of work permits, tax rebates, Social Security cards, and a quick route to citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants -- a process that had been scheduled to start on February 18, 2015. In his decision, Hanen wrote:

"The court finds that the government’s failure to secure the border has exacerbated illegal immigration into this country. … The record supports the finding that this lack of enforcement, combined with the country’s high rate of illegal immigration, significantly drains the states’ resources.... The court agrees … any subsequent ruling that finds DAPA unlawful after it is implemented would result in the states facing the substantially difficult — if not impossible — task of retracting benefits or licenses already provided [to beneficiaries].”

“The DHS was not given any ‘discretion by law’ to give 4.3 million removable aliens what the DHS itself labels as ‘legal presence.’  In fact, the law mandates that these illegally-present individuals be removed. The DHS has adopted a new rule that substantially changes both the status and employability of millions. These changes go beyond mere enforcement or even non-enforcement of this nation’s immigration scheme.”

“The court agrees that, without a preliminary injunction, any subsequent ruling that finds DAPA unlawful after it is implemented would result in the States facing the substantially difficult–if not impossible–task of retracting any benefits licenses already provided to DAPA beneficiaries. This genie would be impossible to put back in the bottle.”

A Washington Times report said of Hanan's ruling: “Where Mr. Obama claimed he was only issuing 'guidance' and using his powers of prosecutorial discretion to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, the judge ruled that wording was 'disingenuous' and ignored the substance of what the president was trying to do. He also said Mr. Obama hurt his own case by saying he’d acted to 'change the law,' implying a much more substantive legal program than his administration was arguing in court.”

Obama Administration Plans to Quadruple Influx of Refugees from Syria

On February 17, 2015, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced that in light of the unrest and terrorism plaguing the nation of Syria, the U.S. would increase the number of Syrian refugees permitted to come to America in 2015 and 2016: "The United States has admitted 524 Syrians since 2011. We’re likely to admit 1,000 to 2,000 Syrian refugees for permanent resettlement in Fiscal Year 2015 and a somewhat higher number, though still in the low thousands, in Fiscal Year 2016."

But at a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee several days earlier, Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said it would be a "huge mistake" to bring refugees from Syria and Turkey into the United States where they "could potentially be radicalized."