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Reagan-Bush Family Fairness: A Chronological History
From 1987 to 1990, Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr. used their executive authority to protect from deportation a group that Congress left out of its 1986 immigration reform legislation—the spouses and children of individuals who were in the process of legalizing. These “Family Fairness” actions were taken to avoid separating families in which one spouse or parent was eligible for legalization, but the other spouse or children living in the United States were not—and thus could be deported, even though they would one day be eligible for legal status when the spouse or parent legalized. Publicly available estimates at the time were that “Family Fairness” could cover as many as 1.5 million family members, which was approximately 40 percent of the then-unauthorized population. After Reagan and Bush acted, Congress later protected the family members. This fact sheet provides a chronological history of the executive actions and legislative debate surrounding Family Fairness.
Read MorePresident’s Plan for Border Security Could Make a Bad Situation Worse
The debate surrounding the Immigration Accountability Executive Actions that President Obama announced last month mostly has centered on the millions of unauthorized immigrants already living in the United States who are likely to receive a three-year reprieve from deportation. But there is another aspect of the president’s announcement that has received relatively little attention despite […]
Read MoreHow Immigration Executive Action Opens Doors for Foreign Entrepreneurs
Much of the attention on President Obama’s executive action on immigration has focused on his use of prosecutorial discretion to defer deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants, including certain parents of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents. But as part of the November announcement, President Obama also signed a memorandum to explore ways to upgrade […]
Read MoreStates Sue Over President Obama’s Immigration Executive Action
Seventeen states filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging President Obama’s decision to temporarily defer deportation for millions of immigrants who qualify for DACA of the new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program. The lawsuit argues that the president’s executive actions “violated his constitutional duty to enforce the laws and illegally placed new burdens on state […]
Read MoreCommittee Fails to Question Legality of President’s Immigration Executive Action
The House Judiciary Committee held a held a hearing Tuesday on President Obama’s recent Immigration Accountability Executive Action, focusing on the administration’s executive action that defers deportation for the parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Known as the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program, this portion of executive action has provoked the […]
Read MoreHomeland Security Secretary Makes the Case for Immigration Actions in House Hearing
There are two competing and politically charged narratives about President Obama’s executive actions on immigration and what they mean for U.S. security and the U.S. economy. One of these narratives maintains that the President’s decision to defer deportations of many unauthorized parents of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents will enhance national security by bringing […]
Read MoreHow Mayors Are Supporting Obama’s Immigration Actions
Mayors around the country are voicing their support for executive action on immigration and are exploring how their cities can better align with the White House’s announced changes. At least 25 mayors from around the country have formed Cities United for Immigration Action, a coalition to support and implement executive action on immigration. “Our cities […]
Read MorePresident Obama: ‘I Will Not Give Up’ On Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Following his address Thursday night explaining his plan to use executive authority to improve parts of the U.S. immigration system, President Obama gave a speech in Las Vegas further detailing why his immigration executive action is just the next step. “Our immigration system has been broken for a very long time, and everybody knows it,” […]
Read MoreObama Immigration Order to Impact Millions, Includes Provisions for High-Skilled Workers
Nov. 21 — President Barack Obama Nov. 20 unveiled a large-scale immigration plan that includes several measures designed to keep highly skilled immigrant workers in the U.S. as well as deportation protection for an estimated 5 million undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. “Today our immigration system is broken and everybody knows […]
Read MoreWho and Where are the Beneficiaries of Obama’s Immigration Executive Action?
President Obama announced in a speech Thursday night his plan to use executive authority to improve parts of the U.S. immigration system, including providing temporary protection from deportation for nearly 5 million people. “Millions of immigrants in every state, of every race and nationality still live here illegally. And let’s be honest—tracking down, rounding up, […]
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