DHS Announces Expansion of Prosecutorial Discretion Guidelines

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would put guidelines in place across all immigration agencies to ensure that its enforcement priorities are focused on removing persons who are most dangerous to the country.

See full announcement:  AIC

DHS announced that it would not categorically defer removal, but that persons who were not high priority targets for removal would have the opportunity to request prosecutorial discretion on a case by case basis. Low priority cases—previously identified in a prosecutorial discretion memo issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton on June 17—include persons who are not criminals and have been in the country since childhood, have strong community ties, are veterans or relatives of persons in the armed services, are caregivers, have serious health issues, are victims of crime or otherwise have a strong basis for remaining in the United States.

If you recall, the recent wave of deportations by the Obama Administration due primarily to a controversial program know as Secure Communities drew mass protests in six U.S. cities.  See PROTESTS.

Due to these mass deportations, the Hispanic community has been extremely frustrated with President Obama.  According to Miriam Journal at the Wall Street Journal (FULL STORY), the immigration issue is a critical one for Mr. Obama as he prepares for reelection.  He won 67% of the Hispanic vote in 2008.

The War on Terror continues with continued problems in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The economy has been wildly unpredictable as witnessed by the large point swings recently on Wall Street.  Hispanic voters are angry with Obama.  Expanding Prosecutorial Discretion is one way of offering an olive branch to the Hispanic Community.  This is not an amnesty program, however.  The Obama Administration will review the deportation cases of an estimated 300,000 individuals and allow many of them at least a temporary reprieve due to Prosecutorial Discretion.

This expanded Prosecutorial Discretion, in my opinion, will not be enough for Obama to gather the support he will need in his re-election campaign.  Mr. Obama will need more concessions to win the Hispanic Vote.  Here is a link to a previous blog:

OBAMA’S NEXT LIKELY MOVE IN IMMIGRATION