“The aide noted that Hong, the heckler, is an illegal immigrant himself who was arrested in 2011 and was not deported. Instead, he was invited to stand on stage with the president of the United States. ‘Most of the 12 million people here illegally are exempt for deportation under the administration’s polices,’ said the aide.”
The charged subject of deportations has moved to the center of the immigration debate as President Obama has come under growing pressure from allies to review his administration’s policy.
Immigration reform has been a winning political issue for Democrats, but some pro-immigrant advocates have become impatient with stalled comprehensive immigration reform legislation on Capitol Hill.
As the likelihood for congressional action diminishes, there is pressure on President Obama to act unilaterally.
The administration’s critics, meanwhile, have accused the president of not doing enough to enforce the law. They argue it has overstated the number of deportations.
Clarissa Martinez-De-Castro, the director of civic engagement and immigration at National Council of La Raza, an ally of Obama’s on immigration reform, said the administration should do more to prioritize deportations to focus on national security and community safety concerns.
“While the permanent solution has to come from Congress and all the pressure will be on them to deliver that, there are things the administration can and should do,” she said. “They should use their discretion to the fullest extent allowable.”
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