How Did Obama Alter the Deportation Measures?
The Obama administration made significant changes to the United States’ deportation policies, aiming to shift the focus from deporting low-level offenders to prioritizing the removal of individuals who posed a threat to national security or had committed serious crimes. This article explores the key alterations made by President Barack Obama during his presidency.
1. Executive Action on Immigration
One of the most notable changes made by Obama was the implementation of executive actions on immigration. In 2012, he announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided temporary relief from deportation and work authorization to eligible undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. This program aimed to protect young individuals who had grown up in the United States and had no criminal records.
2. Prioritizing Deportation of Serious Criminals
Under Obama’s administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memo outlining the enforcement priorities for deportation. The memo emphasized that individuals with serious criminal convictions, those who had been charged with or convicted of a felony, or those who had been charged with three or more misdemeanors would be the primary targets for deportation. This shift in focus aimed to reduce the number of deportations of low-level offenders and focus on those who posed a greater threat to public safety.
3. Expansion of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA)
In 2014, Obama announced another executive action, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would have provided similar protections to undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. However, this program was never implemented due to a lawsuit filed by Texas and 25 other states, which resulted in a federal court blocking the program.
4. Increased Use of Deportation Deferrals
Despite the focus on prioritizing serious criminals for deportation, Obama’s administration also increased the use of deportation deferrals. These deferrals allowed individuals who were not priorities for removal to stay in the United States temporarily, providing them with work authorization and protection from deportation. The administration aimed to use these deferrals as a way to manage the immigration system more effectively and to address the humanitarian concerns associated with deporting individuals who had deep roots in the United States.
5. Challenges and Legacy
The changes made by Obama to the deportation measures were met with both praise and criticism. Proponents argued that the administration’s policies were necessary to address the humanitarian crisis caused by deportations and to prioritize the removal of individuals who posed a genuine threat to public safety. Critics, however, claimed that the executive actions were an overreach of presidential power and that they undermined the rule of law.
In conclusion, President Barack Obama altered the deportation measures in the United States by implementing executive actions, prioritizing the removal of serious criminals, and increasing the use of deportation deferrals. While these changes were significant, they also faced challenges and remain a contentious issue in the ongoing debate over immigration policy.
