Immigrant Activists to Rally in D.C. Before Oral Arguments

Immigration reform protesters are preparing to descend upon Washington, D.C. next week to protest when the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments over President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration.

The policies in question are two executive orders signed by President Obama which would have widespread impact on immigration in the United States.

Called the Immigration Accountability Executive Action,Obama’s 2014 executive order included an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).

The DACA program would allow children who entered the country before their 16th birthday to receive a two-year work permit as well as an exemption from deportation, while the DAPA program would give deferred action to parents of children who are either native American citizens or are lawful permanent residents of the United States.

Obama’s order would protect more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. His orders allow millions of undocumented immigrants the chance to apply for deferred action status and get work permits. Immigrant action groups have lauded the president’s order, but both policies have come under intense fire from Republicans, who say Obama doesn’t have the authority to protect a third of the country’s undocumented immigrants through executive order.

Those numbers mean a big impact from local and federal immigration policies. Approximately 229,000 Florida immigrants would be eligible for deportation deferral, work permits, and state driver’s licenses under the immigration programs.

Texas went to court over the matter in 2014, and national Republican leaders filed briefs in support of the state’s challenge to the programs. Florida’s own Marco Rubio was one of the senators to add his name to the list of lawmakers opposed to Obama’s executive orders.

By Allison Nielsen for Sunshine State News
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