A lawsuit to block U.S. President Barack Obama's immigration measures are expected to reach Texas soon but the case could be thrown out fast unless it can be proven that the said measures can inflict harm on plaintiff states.
The new action aims to defer the deportation of approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants and extend work permits for the people concerned. These new actions actually append a previous one in 2012 which deferred the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were children when they set foot in the US.
Apparently a group of Republican governors and state attorney generals are trying to fend off the said measures, claiming that Obama overstepped his constitutional powers as far as the matter is concerned.
They further added that only Congress can alter immigration laws and Obama's measures could result in financial damage in certain states.
For their part, the Obama administration defended the executive order and cited how Republican members refused to cooperate and work with the President on the issue.
As it stands, four to five million immigrants stand to benefit from the executive order. This means that the executive order could also save the government about $25 billion as estimated by Politico. Politico used various resources to come up with the rough estimate.
The expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is set to take effect starting next week, February 18. To ensure that affected immigrants are able to follow the proper procedure, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has taken the liberty of distributing fliers in various languages.
The requirements were outlined as well to help affected parties follow the proper protocol for the DACA application process. This will temporarily help them avoid deportation for a renewable three –year period.
Undocumented immigrants will be given the chance to obtain employment authorization within that three-year period and hence work in the U.S. However, undocumented immigrants should not have been convicted of any felony and any significant misdemeanour to qualify. He/she should also not be a security risk to qualify for DACA.
Eligible undocumented immigrants must have lived in the U.S. before turning 16 and have been there since January 1, 2010.
