Citizenship and the Chicago Way

By Ann Kane

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been floating suggestions on how to avoid the usual congressional procedures on comprehensive immigration reform. In a recent undated memo written up by the USCIS, here is a summary of their proposal:

In the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, USCIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals or groups by issuing new guidance and regulations, exercising discretion with regard to parole-in-place, deferred action and the issuance of Notices to Appear (NTA), and adopting significant process improvements.

Last January, the Obama administration started looking worried about an anti-incumbent, anti-Democrat sweep in the November elections. In my AT post of January 6, I related my own concerns about what he would do to increase Democrat voter rolls.

Add amnesty to the Universal Voter Registration proposals explained yesterday in AT by James Simpson, and the Democrats can add millions of voters to the rolls, replacing disillusioned supporters, and ensure itself a permanent majority. This is unlikely to be accomplished the November elections (although, never underestimate the Chicago way), but most assuredly for 2012.

Now Senators Vitter of Louisiana and Kyl of Arizona have asked the administration to explain the memo. Fox News reported:

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.., also said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he was "very disturbed" to see the memo discussing "non-legislative ways to achieve amnesty."

Then in another AT post June 25, I wrote:

Obama Administration appears to be circumventing regular congressional procedures on immigration reform by considering deferred action or parole on a massive scale for the more than ten million illegal aliens in the U.S.

Rosemary Jenks of Numbers USA in a Fox News report stated:

Jenks said illegal immigrants granted parole are often allowed to seek permanent legal status.

The Democrats must be getting desperate, and when people get desperate, they do unconscionable things like make up new rules to suit their goals. Maybe the Senators' request for clarification can stop the administration in its tracks on this one.