Prohibitions Relating to Deferred Action for Aliens
Floor Speech
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman.
I rise in support of my amendment to prevent the extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was indeed unlawfully put in place by an executive memo on August 15, 2012. What this amendment does is to return us to the original language of H.R. 5160. Plus, it strengthens that original language by looking beyond July 30. What it will do is to tie the President's hands as to future executive actions that he might take to expand amnesty for illegal entrants into this country. It would freeze DACA.
Now, I want to read the bill because it is not a lengthy bill. Beginning on line 1, section 1, Limitation on deferred action for childhood arrivals; restrictions on employment authorization for aliens not in lawful status.
No agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government may use Federal funding or resources after July 30, 2014:
One, to consider or adjudicate any new or previously denied application of any alien requesting consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, as authorized by the executive memo dated June 15, 2012, and effective on August 15, 2012, or by any other succeeding executive memorandum or policy authorizing a similar program.
Number two, to newly authorize deferred action for any class of aliens not lawfully present in the United States.
Number three, to authorize any alien to work in the U.S. if such alien, A, was not lawfully admitted into the U.S. in compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.); and, B, is not in lawful status in the U.S. on the date of the enactment of this act.
That is it. That is it. That is what is in this piece of legislation.
What it does, in effect, is to give Central American children a false hope. It says that they are going to be able to obtain amnesty, as those before them have done in this program. And the reason we are so concerned about this and the reason my colleagues have come and have talked about their concern, what is happening is you have the traffickers, you have the smugglers, you have the coyotes who are preying on these innocent people. And they believe if these children can make it here, they will get amnesty. It is a false hope. Certainly we know and we care about these families. We know these countries want to get their children back and reunite them with their families in their home countries.
Now, Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing is that the administration would like to expand DACA. Indeed, we have heard that the President has instructed Secretary Johnson and General Holder to come up with a list of executive actions to address immigration.
The increase and the statistics that Mr. Labrador gave us on the percentages of increase cannot be denied.
We see what is happening on this border. Mr. Poe talked about what he has seen happening with those families. And true to form, just as Governor Perry warned us in 2012 that this was going to happen, indeed, it is. We are seeing this unprecedented increase going back to 2009, looking at where we are with today, with the children, with the teens, with the adults that are streaming across this border and are disrupting life along the southern border for American families.
I want to make one other point. Chairman Goodlatte mentioned this earlier. We have talked a little bit about the Constitution tonight, and, indeed, we all know that when you look at the Constitution, article I, section 8, clause 4, that is where those enumerated powers are given to Congress. They are given to Congress ``to establish an uniform rule of naturalization.''
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