Obama Asks Homeland Security Sec. to Delay Deportation Review

Obama Asks Homeland Security Sec. to Delay Deportation Review

on Tue, 27 May 2014

President Barack Obama's administration will not unilaterally change the country's immigration policies before August's summer recess.

Obama reportedly has asked Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to delay the completion of the administrative review that Obama requested in March regarding the country's immigration laws and deportation policies.

Last week, Senate Democrats said Obama would have no choice but to act alone on immigration if Congress does not pass amnesty legislation in six weeks. Cecilia Munoz, the director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council, told the Associated Press Tuesday that Obama "really wants to maximize the opportunity to get a permanent solution enacted, which requires Congress." The results of the review will reportedly not be announced before August.

Johnson had told PBS's Judy Woodruff last week that the administration was close to enacting changes to the country's immigration laws and specifically mentioned potentially expanding the deferred action program to give temporary amnesty to more illegal immigrants and taking a "fresh look" at the Secure Communities program. The Los Angeles Timesreported that Johnson has met with police officers and told them that the Obama administration may allow local governments to release more people suspected of being illegal immigrants so long as they have not been accused of "violent" or "serious" crimes.

Even though Janet Napolitano, Obama's previous Homeland Security Security, has debunked the notion that Obama is the "deporter-in-chief," amnesty advocates have been relentlessly pushing the Obama administration to act alone. However, Republicans have said that they would not move forward on immigration if Obama cannot be trusted to enforce the nation's immigration laws and takes more unilateral actions to change them.

Johnson is reportedly scheduled to meet with House Democrats on June 10 to discuss the administration's immigration review.