We expect President Barack Obama to take executive action for undocumented immigrants in late August or September. Over the next few weeks we have a chance to influence the president by calling the White House and letting him know that we want him to go big when he issues his executive order.
Congress will not accomplish anything in the area of immigration reform before the November elections. This means that the only relief for immigrants will come from the president. The range of actions Obama could take range from granting work permits to the parents of U.S. citizens and DACA recipients, numbering a few hundred thousand people, to a broad temporary legalization program impacting 5 million or more.
We need to advocate strongly that an executive order cover everyone who would be legalized under the bill the Senate passed last year. People who will ultimately have their status legalized should not fear that they will be arrested and deported because the House can’t get its act together. This will also give these immigrants the chance to get their documents together to prepare for ultimate full legal status.
Also, when Congress does finally get around to developing an immigration bill, there is a chance that it will only protect those covered by the executive order. The bigger the class of people protected by the executive order, the larger the number of people potentially put on the pathway to citizenship.
Please call President Obama and say, “I am asking that when the president takes executive action to protect immigrants, that he provide legal status to everyone who would have been protected under the bill the Senate passed last year.”
Here is the White House phone number: 202-456-1111
