Well, we’re back to this issue again: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA drama is back. The constitutionally questionable program initiated by the Obama White House is the reason immigration became a primary action item. The Trump administration announced last year that they were going to wind down the program, citing White House lawyers’ inability to defend the shaky program. Also, the White House was facing a lawsuit from a group of GOP state attorneys general if they allowed DACA to continue. A six-month enforcement delay was instituted, affording Congress enough time to pass a DACA fix. There was only one problem: The Democratic Party. They’re not going to play ball with the GOP on much, especially with their base in resistance mode. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean DACA just goes away. So, before we get into how many violent criminal illegals were granted protections, let’s break down this program (via LA Times):
On June 15, 2012, the Obama administration implemented DACA. Under the program, people who came to the United States as children and met several key guidelines would not face deportation for two years, and could then apply to renew their status as a DACA recipient. Immigrants who were approved would also be eligible for work authorization. Nearly 800,000 DACA recipients have received approval to go to school and work legally in the United States.
[…]
When DACA became a reality in 2012, it gave a specific group of people protections against deportation. To receive those protections an individual had to have come to the United States prior to turning 16, but be younger than 31 years old. The individual also had to be in or have completed school, and could not have a criminal record.
It also requires the applicant to provide sensitive information, including evidence that they’re here illegally, in order to obtain DACA protections. This is why the immigration activist wing of America is edgy; the government knows where all these people are mostly.
Right now, as both sides debate that will be pretty much amnestied with the two bills being voted on this week, let’s not forget that not every single one of these DACA recipients is an angel. There are some bad people who have obtained protections—and it’s not just misdemeanor antics. We’re taking assault, rape, DUIs, and even a couple cases of child pornography. All of these people were granted DACA protections, despite prior arrests. All told, over 53,792 illegal aliens were granted protections despite some serious run-ins with law enforcement. The figures about these applicants who enrolled into the DACA program this morning are from the years 2012-2018.
When you just account for the worst of the worst, like assault, battery, weapons-related, rape, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, murder, and other forms of sexual abuse (including statutory rape), that figure is still unacceptably high at 5,861. Yeah, some illegal aliens arrested for murder were granted protections. If that’s not insanity, or signs of a very, very bad immigration policy, I don’t know what to tell you, folks. Here’s the full list. These figures were provided by DHS:
Now, this isn’t new. There have been stories of DACA recipients losing protections due to criminal activity. Yet, the tricky thing here is that arrests alone don’t bar someone from being enrolled in the program, only convictions. Yet, you’d think that someone arrested for murder, child porn, assault, battery, or rape wouldn’t get green lit by the system. Apparently, even on those vicious crimes, it’s possible for illegals to be shielded from deportation.
Right now, every House Democrat, including a sizable portion of moderate Republicans, are starting this discharge petition business that would have allowed them to vote on immigration without going through the GOP leadership. It would have required 218 signatories. They were a few shy, which led to this deal this week, allowing votes to be held on two bills that don’t have much of a shot of passing. Oh, and did I mention that they’re both pretty much awful pieces of legislation, though the Trump White House has said they back both bills. Now, in the meantime, a secondary legal protocol has been set in effect, as the Trump administration filed a legal challenge against DACA in Texas, stating DACA violates the enforcement of federal immigration law, according to NBC News. The motion was filed last Friday. If a Texas federal judge rules in favor of the Trump White House, it would be in conflict with two other lower court rulings, prompting a quick motion for argument before the Supreme Court, as the federal government would argue it would be violating the law no matter what it did, according to the news organization. The Trump White House would ask for a hold on the lower court ruling, allowing the administration to end DACA immediately. Let’s see what happens.