Obama moves immigration policy
The Obama administration declared yesterday that it would grant an indefinite reprieve to an estimated thousands of immigrants facing deportation, allowing them to stay and work legally so officials can more quickly deport convicted criminals and other serious cases.
Since there is no chance of getting any real legal change on immigration through Congress, the Obama administration is achieving part of their goals through executive policy changes. Essentially they are going to move the illegal immigrants who have no other criminal charges to the bottom of the prosecution list, and critically, let them out of jail and give them a reprieve to work legally in the US. Given the length of the prosecution back log, being put permanently at the bottom of the list means never being prosecuted.
Naturally this is generating a largely partisan response. On one side there are Republicans and anti-immigration folk complaining out the administration, and Democrats and free movement people supporting it. Personally, I think it is generally a good idea but it shouldn't be a way to avoid prosecution forever.
Jay
