As
President, my highest duty is to defend the American people and the
Constitution of the United States of America. At the same time, I do
not favor punishing children, most of whom are
now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also
recognize that we are nation of opportunity
because we are a nation of laws.
The
legislative branch, not the executive branch, writes these laws – this
is the bedrock of our Constitutional system, which I took a solemn oath
to preserve, protect, and defend.
In
June of 2012, President Obama bypassed Congress to give work permits,
social security numbers, and federal benefits to approximately 800,000
illegal immigrants currently between the ages
of 15 and 36. The typical recipients of this executive amnesty, known
as DACA, are in their twenties. Legislation offering these same
benefits had been introduced in Congress on numerous occasions and
rejected each time.
In
referencing the idea of creating new immigration rules unilaterally,
President Obama admitted that “I can’t just do these things by myself” –
and yet that is exactly what he did, making
an end-run around Congress and violating the core tenets that sustain
our Republic.
Officials
from 10 States are suing over the program, requiring my Administration
to make a decision regarding its legality. The Attorney General of the
United States, the Attorneys General
of many states, and virtually all other top legal experts have advised
that the program is unlawful and unconstitutional and cannot be
successfully defended in court.
There
can be no path to principled immigration reform if the executive branch
is able to rewrite or nullify federal laws at will.
The
temporary implementation of DACA by the Obama Administration, after
Congress repeatedly rejected this amnesty-first approach, also helped
spur a humanitarian crisis –
the massive surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America
including, in some cases, young people who would become members of
violent gangs throughout our country, such as MS-13.
Only
by the reliable enforcement of immigration law can we produce safe
communities, a robust middle class, and economic fairness for all
Americans.
Therefore,
in the best interests of our country, and in keeping with the
obligations of my office, the Department of Homeland Security will begin
an orderly transition and wind-down of DACA,
one that provides minimum disruption. While new applications for work
permits will not be accepted, all existing work permits will be honored
until their date of expiration up to two full years from today.
Furthermore, applications already in the pipeline
will be processed, as will renewal applications for those facing
near-term expiration. This is a gradual process, not a sudden phase
out. Permits will not begin to expire for another six months, and will
remain active for up to 24 months. Thus, in effect,
I am not going to just cut DACA off, but rather provide a window of
opportunity for Congress to finally act.
Our
enforcement priorities remain unchanged. We are focused on criminals,
security threats, recent border-crossers, visa overstays, and repeat
violators. I have advised the Department of
Homeland Security that DACA recipients are not enforcement priorities
unless they are criminals, are involved in criminal activity, or are
members of a gang.
The
decades-long failure of Washington, D.C. to enforce federal immigration
law has had both predictable and tragic consequences: lower wages and
higher unemployment for American workers,
substantial burdens on local schools and hospitals, the illicit entry
of dangerous drugs and criminal cartels, and many billions of dollars a
year in costs paid for by U.S. taxpayers. Yet few in Washington
expressed any compassion for the millions of Americans
victimized by this unfair system. Before we ask what is fair to
illegal immigrants, we must also ask what is fair to American families,
students, taxpayers, and jobseekers.
Congress
now has the opportunity to advance responsible immigration reform that
puts American jobs and American security first. We are facing the
symptom of a larger problem, illegal immigration,
along with the many other chronic immigration problems Washington has
left unsolved. We must reform our green card system, which now favors
low-skilled immigration and puts immense strain on U.S. taxpayers. We
must base future immigration on merit – we want
those coming into the country to be able to support themselves
financially, to contribute to our economy, and to love our country and
the values it stands for. Under a merit-based system, citizens will
enjoy higher employment, rising wages, and a stronger
middle class. Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue have introduced the
RAISE Act, which would establish this merit-based system and produce
lasting gains for the American People.
I
look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to
finally address all of these issues in a manner that puts the
hardworking citizens of our country first.
As
I’ve said before, we will resolve the DACA issue with heart and
compassion – but through the lawful Democratic process – while at the
same time ensuring that any immigration reform we
adopt provides enduring benefits for the American citizens we were
elected to serve. We must also have heart and compassion for
unemployed, struggling, and forgotten Americans.
Above
all else, we must remember that young Americans have dreams too. Being
in government means setting priorities. Our first and highest priority
in advancing immigration reform must be
to improve jobs, wages and security for American workers and their
families.
It is now time for Congress to act!
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