June 15, 2012 was a great day in the United States. President Barack Obama issued a ruling that would grant reprieve to hundreds of thousands of undocumented young adults who came to the U.S. as children. Immigrants were finally able to live and work in the U.S. without the threat of deportation and the possibility of renewing their deferred action status after two years. Although deferred action is not a pathway to citizenship, it does elicit a measure of good faith and a reminder that America is a country whose history was built by immigrants.
In early September 2014, it was widely rumored that President Obama would once and for all use his executive power to deliver comprehensive immigration reform, a motion that has been lobbied for by many advocates for years. Unfortunately, it was politics as usual when the President decided to delay reform until after the midterm elections in November. It is obvious that his decision was made to placate several Democratic senators seeking re-election in a competitive Senate rate. Immigration reform is too “controversial” of a topic and if reform was pushed too early, many Democrats could end up losing the votes.
The consequences of yet another delay in immigration reform are many. Because of this inaction, initial estimates show that at least 60,000 immigrants will be deported between the date of inaction on September 5, 2014 and Election Day on November 4, 2014, which is consistent with the rate of deportation in 2013. However, the difference here is what you get on the flipside; the implementation of administrative action would ultimately protect millions of people – potentially including parents of U.S. citizens, parents of the young immigrants who’ve already qualified for deferred action, and/or spouses of U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Families would no longer have to live in fear of being torn away from loved ones. Protections such as these constitute inalienable rights that government must act now to provide.
Additionally, these federal protections are vitally important to a country that seeks to revitalize its weakened economy. Not only does granting work permits to eligible undocumented individuals mean the U.S. will see a boost in payroll tax revenues, but it will also mean that many of these immigrants will begin to assume some of the more low-wage, low-skilled jobs, lifting American citizens out of those positions and presumably up the company ladder. Although, it should be noted that undocumented workers currently are nearly three times more likely to experience wage theft than legal workers. However, the glimmer of hope is that immigration reform would inherently engender accountability and standard measures among employers.
Granting temporary work permits for undocumented workers will inevitably maximize their earnings potential and create a pathway towards economic security. Additionally, through executive action, the President can focus enforcement resources on high-priority targets, such as major criminals and those who threaten national security. And as Americans wait for the Administration to announce which executive actions on immigration it will take, they should keep in mind that a step toward fixing the immigration system is a step toward greater financial security for everyone. Further delay in reforming the American immigration system can no longer be an option.