Tonight, the president will announce his plan to address our nation’s broken immigration system through executive action. Watch the speech at 8:00pm.
Margaret W. Wong, immigration attorney in Northeast Ohio comments with her remarks as she steps foot into the White House tonight.
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Margaret W. Wong & Associates
Atlanta * Chicago * Cleveland * Columbus * Los Angeles * Nashville * New York
November 19, 2014
Dear Clients and Friends:
Finally, the time has come.
Tomorrow night, at 8 pm Eastern on http://www.whitehouse.gov/live, President Barack Obama will announce the details of his plan to address our nation’s broken immigration system through executive action. It has been 510 days since the Senate passed a landmark immigration bill, and the House of Representatives still has not acted. President Obama has made it clear in recent months that he will use his executive authority, like many presidents before him, to implement common sense policies if Congress refused to act.
At this moment, we do not know the specifics of the President’s executive order. The New York Times has reported that President Obama’s plan could shield as many as five million undocumented immigrants from deportation and grant them work permits. The executive order will most likely provide deportation relief for the parents of children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents as well as expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, enacted in 2012.
It is important to keep in mind that executive action is no substitute for congressional reform and any changes enacted by President Obama will be temporary. The President cannot grant green cards or citizenship to undocumented immigrants nor does it seem likely that his executive order will address controversial issues such as the immigrant bed quota or the deplorable standards in detention centers. Still, this will be a very important step.
I was fortunate to be invited to the White House tonight for their holiday party, and the President confirmed to me, “I had promised. I had promised.” He was actually very proud that he’s been able to keep his word.
We will keep you informed of the President’s impending actions and will send out an email explaining his executive order.
Sincerely,
Margaret W. Wong
Margaret W. Wong & Associates Co., LPA