House Speaker John Boehner made headlines on February 6 for tabling immigration "overhaul" -- one week after indicating it was at the top of this session's agenda.
But don't think anyone has put the hatchets away. Measures hacking away at the US border, US citizenship, and US law itself continue across the land even as Congress increasingly becomes the 535-figured-headed white elephant on the Hill. More American Betrayal, and at breakneck speed.
Some recent dispatches from the world of do-it-yourself, forget-about-the-legislature, immigration-policy-making.
Feb. 4: TheStreet.com reports "DREAMers Get BiPartisan Support as Donald Graham Joins Grover Norquist."
TheStreet,com reports:
Immigration reform may be at an intractable standstill but former Washington Post Publisher Donald Graham is creating an organization to do what the federal government has been unable to do: help make it possible for young, undocumented immigrants to go to college, and by extension, enter the workforce.
And by extension, to receive de facto amnesty.
...
TheDream.US plans to provide college scholarships for 2,000 young people from low-income families of undocumented immigrants, a population barred from applying for federal aid to fund a college education. While immigration reform has largely been trumpeted by Deomcrats, Graham secured the support of high-profile Republicans including the anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, the perennial presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, U.S. Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush....
Graham has already raised $25 million from donors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and other groups and individuals, including journalist Michael Kinsley. TheStreet.com continues: "Of course, the goal is to raise a lot more money. There are roughly 2 million undocumented young people looking to enter college who are ineligible because of current immigration laws to receive federal financial aid..."
Today 2,000 (or two million), tomorrow, the world.
Here we see not the president usurping law-making powers -- "I have a pen and I have a phone" -- but private individuals making it up as they go along. ("We have a cause and we have a checkbook....")
Feb. 5: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department issued an “Exercise of Authority” to lift "limited material support" bar against asylum-seekers and refugees.
That's "limited material support" for terrorism, of course.
Feb. 10: Human Rights First posts "Republican Leaders Release Statement in Support of U.S. Committment to Refugees." (Hat tip: Refugee Resettlement Watch.)
This was more than a statement in support of "committment to refugees." This statement calls for Congress "to eliminate unjust barriers." Could they be referring to the "limited material support" bar that DHS and State just waived?
As Congress and the President consider reform of our immigration laws and policy, they have the opportunity to remove or reform barriers and challenges that are preventing legitimate refugees from receiving this country’s protection. Congress should eliminate unjust barriers that deny or delay U.S. protection to legitimate refugees, support a fair and timely decision-making process for those seeking refuge, and implement the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In doing so, they would eliminate unnecessary restrictions on liberty that are inconsistent with this country’s values.
Signatories to this letter: 1) former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; 2) former Florida Governor Jeb Bush; 3) former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge; 4) Kansas Governor Sam Brownback; 5) former Senator Mel Martinez; 6) Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; 7) Suhail A. Khan, chairman of the Conservative Inclusion Coalition; 8) Jim Ziglar, former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); 9) Alberto Mora, former General Counsel of the Navy, also on board of Human Rights First; and 10) Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, former Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.
Norquist again. Also Suhail Khan.
Call it the anti-National Security Ten.
Feb 11: CBS4 in Miami reports:
Tuesday, Miami-Dade College accepted the first scholarships ever for undocumented immigrants."
(That was fast.)
The move, a sidestep around the immigration debate, is changing the lives of dozens of students who could only dream of going to college.
A "sidestep" around "the immigration debate" means the breaking of federal law.
Feb. 14: Judicial Watch reports "DHS Obeys ACLU's order to stop arresting illegal aliens"
More open flouting of the law of the land.
Feb. 14 press release from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom:
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the recent announcement by the Departments of State and Homeland Security of two new waivers that would help ameliorate some of the overbroad bars on refugees, including those from Syria, fleeing religious or other persecution. ...
USCIRF chairman Robert George adds:
"It is particularly unfair when overbroad provisions deny individuals refugee status because they aided opposition groups the United States has supported."
If they're from Syria, I'm guessing this would mean "limited material support" for al Qaeda groups. If they're from Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood.
A few years ago I reported that in Libya we completely changed sides in the "war on terror." Now that the executive branch has waived bars to grant "limited supporters" of terrorism into the country, what next -- scholarships for undocumented terrorists?
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the recent announcement by the Departments of Homeland Security and State of two new waivers that would help ameliorate some of the unfair effects of overbroad bars on refugees, including those from Syria, fleeing religious or other persecution. - See more at: http://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/whats-new-at-uscirf/4176-press-release-uscirf-welcomes-us-actions-to-aid-refugees-february-14-2014.html?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=#sthash.gQq4qpSc.dpuf
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the recent announcement by the Departments of Homeland Security and State of two new waivers that would help ameliorate some of the unfair effects of overbroad bars on refugees, including those from Syria, fleeing religious or other persecution. - See more at: http://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/whats-new-at-uscirf/4176-press-release-uscirf-welcomes-us-actions-to-aid-refugees-february-14-2014.html#sthash.RA2lXBS5.dpuf