November 21, 2014

Five million shielded from deportation by immigration reforms

located:	USA
editor:	FairPlanet Editorial Team

US President Obama has announced an executive action, enacting huge immigration reforms which will see almost five million undocumented migrants protected from deportation.

The reforms will also give undocumented migrants who are parents of US citizens the opportunity to apply for work permits.

Taking his usual rhetoric approach, Obama stressed that Americans "are and always will be immigrants".

“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?” he asked. “Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms?”

The rousing, emotional speech announced what will be one of the president's boldest moves during his time in office.

But it does, of course, face pushback from Republicans, who are divided on their answer to undocumented migration.

While many Democrats rejoice, some analysts remain skeptical of the real meaning of Obama's speech.

Megan McArdle on Bloomberg View posited that "he was supposed to be explaining his actions to regularize the status of millions of undocumented immigrants; what he delivered was a festival of glorious nonsense."

So will Obama's bold statements be carried out with policy? Only time will tell.