Obama Administration's Immigration Policy Resembles Bush's

The New York Times reports that President Obama’s approach to immigration enforcement has remained similar to that of his predecessor. Employee paperwork audits have been conducted at hundreds of businesses and prosecutions for immigration violations have increased. E-Verify, the federal program that allows employers to check applicants’ work authorization status, has been expanded, as has a cooperative program between federal, state, and local officials that runs immigration checks on individuals booked at certain local jails.

The reliance on holdover policies has upset immigrant and Latino advocates, key supporters of Obama’s election, who believed the new administration would take a different, less harsh approach. Although administration officials state that they have backed away from unpopular mass factory roundups of illegal immigrants, advocates contend that the administration’s continuation of existing programs will result in further ethnic profiling and civil rights violations.

As previously discussed, Democrats are planning to introduce an immigration reform bill sometime this year or in early 2010. Anticipating a legislative battle, influential party members have suggested members alter their language when discussing the issue—e.g., abandoning the term “undocumented” in reference to illegal immigrants—to demonstrate their commitment to preventing illegal immigration and strengthening immigration enforcement.

Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.