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The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday rescinded an Obama-era immigration policy that had allowed for deferred action for parents of Americans and lawful permanent residents, which was known as DAPA.

DHS Secretary John Kelly signed a memo on Thursday directing his employees not to carry out an instruction his predecessor, Jeh Johnson, had put in writing in November 2014 that sought to extend a 2012 program aimed at the illegal immigrant community.

Kelly made the decision to revoke the policy because "there is no credible path forward to litigate the currently enjoined policy" due to its current entanglement in the courts, his office said in a statement.

The 2014 Johnson memos had been intended as extensions of Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the 2012 policy that permitted illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors to receive a two-year period of deferred action and work permit. DACA permits would last two years and could be renewed if the individual remained in good legal standing. The program also allowed recipients to become eligible for state-managed public benefits.

Under DAPA, recipients would have had to be a parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident as of Nov. 20, 2014; have continuously resided in the U.S. before Jan. 1, 2010; have been physically present in the U.S. on Nov. 20, 2014 and when applying for relief; have no lawful immigration status on that date; have not fallen within the secretary's enforcement priorities; and have presented no other factors that, in the exercise of discretion, make the grant of deferred action inappropriate.

A 2015 report by the Migration Policy Institute estimated 3.6 million illegal immigrant parents would have been eligible for DAPA.

But DAPA was never implemented.

In early 2015, 26 states responded to the months-old announcement with a lawsuit against the Obama administration in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Texas. The states alleged the program violated the Constitution and federal statutes. The majority of the states that took legal action identified as red states.

The program was put on hold for the next two years as it wound its way through the courts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed the district court's decision, and the Supreme Court ultimately granted the lower court's injunction to remain in place.

The now-defunct DAPA policy also would have changed the DACA program's two-year extension to three-year terms.

President Trump's hardline stance on immigration has remained resolute, but wavered at times since he took office nearly five months ago. Trump admitted he wanted to show compassion to people in the U.S. illegally, but has been adamant about eradicating all future illegal immigration by enforcing all immigration laws and creating a secure wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The White House has not issued a statement on the newly announced DHS decision.

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DHS rescinds Obama-era DAPA policy that would have protected illegal immigrant parents - Washington Examiner

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who calls himself a conservative, argued it would be better to deport lazy Americans than illegal immigrants in a tongue-in-cheek op-ed published in Saturdays paper.

The United States has too many people who dont work hard, dont believe in God, dont contribute much to society and dont appreciate the greatness of the American system, Stephens wrote in the piece.

He argued that this description applies to many American citizens whose families have been in the country for generations.

He then goes on to break down how American natives are more likely to be locked up, less educated, less religious, less entrepreneurial, more likely to have children out of wedlock, count more teen delinquents among their ranks and have fewer children than their immigrant both legal and illegal peers.

Bottom line: So-called real Americans are screwing up America, Stephens concludes. Maybe they should leave, so that we can replace them with new and better ones: newcomers who are more appreciative of what the United States has to offer, more ambitious for themselves and their children, and more willing to sacrifice for the future.

He then admits that his argument is made in jest after implying the so-called real Americans hes talking about were the ones who voted for Donald Trump.

O.K., so Im jesting about deporting real Americans en masse. (Who would take them in, anyway?) But then the threat of mass deportations has been no joke with this administration, the outspokenly anti-Trump columnist clarifies.

While the article implies its real American Trump voters who are exhibiting these negative traits of high crime, little education and a greater rate of teen delinquency, theres a likely unintended racial message behind this argument. African-Americans, per capita, are incarcerated more (as shown by the study Stephens link to his own article), more prone to drop out of high school, have more births out of wedlock, and are less likely to start their own businesses than the rest of the population.

However, it doesnt seem that Stephens intended for his message to be taken that legal and illegal immigrants are superior to African-Americans.

After stating his premise was facetious, Stephens attacks President Trumps immigration policies as inhumane and pushes people away who love America.

He then claims that immigrants have a greater right to the country than the native-born and are the only ones who can make America great again.

Because Im the child of immigrants and grew up abroad, I have always thought of the United States as a country that belongs first to its newcomers the people who strain hardest to become a part of it because they realize that its precious; and who do the most to remake it so that our ideas, and our appeal, may stay fresh, Stephens writes.

That used to be a clich, but in the Age of Trump it needs to be explained all over again. Were a country of immigrants by and for them, too. Americans who dont get it should get out, he concludes.

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NYT Columnist: Deport Americans, Not Illegal Immigrants - The Daily Caller

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan defended his saying last week that illegal immigrants should be afraid, but CNN buried his justification based on humanitarian grounds in their article Friday.

Homan had made the comments before Congress last week, but expanded on why he said what many might find controversial.

It needed to be said, Homan explained. And by me saying you should be worried, you should be afraid if you lie on your taxes, youve got to be worried, Is the IRS going to audit me? When you speed down the highway, youve got to worry, Am I going to get a speeding ticket? You worry. Its natural human behavior.

But he also explained that he had seen many terrible horrors as the result of lax immigration enforcement, and by enforcing the law in a strict manner, those evils could be prevented.

Why am I so strong in what Im trying to do? Homan said. Because people havent seen what Tom Homans seen They havent seen the dead immigrants on a trail that were left stranded. They werent in Phoenix, Arizona when these organizations were holding people hostage, raping the women, molesting the children, killing people that couldnt pay their smuggling fees, doubling their smuggling fees after they got to the United States.

People werent standing with me in Victoria, Texas, in the back of a tractor trailer with 19 dead aliens including a five-year-old child laying dead under his father that suffocated in the back of this tractor trailer by these smuggling organizations, he challenged.

CNN only added this humanitarian reasoning in the last of their 17-paragraph article.

Even illegal immigration advocate and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos admitted that the precipitous drop in illegal immigration meant that fewer migrants would make the dangerous trek to the United States, preventing many tragedies.

Homan also dismantled the oft-used argument that strict immigration policies break up families.

The constant story about us separating families, he explained, when someone enters this country illegally, or someone overstays their visa, they know theyre in this country illegally. If they take it upon themselves to have a child in this country and becomes a US citizen by birth, he put his family in that position, not ICE, not Border Patrol. And to vilify the men and women of ICE as separating families is unfair.

Homan continued to argue that when local authorities impose sanctuary city policies, they force ICE to sweep illegal aliens at their homes and other places. These actions are then falsely reported as raids to vilify immigration enforcement.

Is ICE putting the fear in the community or is it other people putting fear in the community? Homan said. The false stories out there (are) whats sending the chill down the spine of the immigrant community. If I had the cooperation I needed, most of these arrests could be made in a county jail.

ICE has reported an unprecedented drop in illegal border crossings, while arrests have increased considerably since President Trump entered the Oval Office.

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ICE chief has 'zero regrets' about saying illegal immigrants 'should be afraid' here's why - TheBlaze.com

MIAMI, FLORIDA

Vice President Mike Pence is urging Central American nations to help stop "illegal and dangerous migration," defeat gangs and transnational drug cartels, and end corruption.

"This must end," said Pence on Thursday, "and this will end." Pence plans to travel to Central and South America later this year as part of continuing U.S. outreach to the region.

"Be assured, the United States is proud of our strong partnership with nations in the Northern Triangle. We are committed to strengthening that partnership so that we can continue to address the significant problems facing our neighborhood," Pence added.

Top U.S. officials said what happens in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala directly affects the security and economic interests of the U.S. and other countries in the region.

"In order to boost economic prosperity, it is imperative that we work together to strengthen the formal economy and diminish the economic drivers of illegal migration and other illicit activities," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The top U.S. diplomat reaffirmed Washington's pledge to the region, despite a 2018 budget that proposes a significant cut in aid to those countries.

"This is no way an indication that somehow our interest is diminished in the region," said Tillerson, adding that even with the cut, "there is substantial money in the budget to continue our commitment" to support our joint security and law enforcement.

"A convulsing Central America, faced with a lack of opportunities and with violence, is a power risk for the United States, Mexico and the region," said Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Cabinet members from President Donald Trump's administration, senior officials from Mexico, presidents from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, along with senior delegates from Latin America gathered in Miami for the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America.

The conference is seen as the result of the close work done by the U.S. and Mexico in recent months.

But critics warned that both countries are turning a "blind eye" to the root cause of Central America's humanitarian crisis.

"Given the extraordinarily high violence at the root of the problem, there should be attention to the emergency needs of people forced from their homes," said Jason Cone, Doctors Without Borders USA Executive Director.

Every year, it is estimated that 500,000 people flee the Northern Triangle nations. The high level of violence in the Northern Triangle ranks alongside the world's deadliest war zones and is the main driver of migration from this region, according to Doctors Without Borders.

A three-pronged approach is recommended by some experts to address the root cause, with a focus on sustainable economic development, strengthening the rule of law and improving security.

"Our approach should focus on a shared partnership," said Jason Marczak, who heads the Atlantic Council's Latin America Economic Growth Initiative.

"One of the big challenges that we see in the Northern Triangle is a fact that the judiciaries are weak, impunity rates are incredibly high, cases are not prosecuted," said Marczak, adding that the rampant corruption has a negative impact on people's trust in government and foreign businesses eyeing investment in the region.

Some analysts cautioned the Trump administration not to make a further shift in policy, from aid-based efforts to a more military-focused approach.

The conference comes at a time when the Trump administration has proposed a significant cut more than 30 percent in U.S. assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, raising questions about how Washington can accomplish an ambitious agenda in Central America.

"With a reduced foreign assistance budget, it is clear the U.S. is putting a greater emphasis on private-sector actors in spurring economic development," the Center for Economic and Policy Research's Jake Johnston told VOA on Thursday.

"Just as much of this conference will be held behind closed doors, so too is U.S. assistance to Central America incredibly opaque," he added.

On Friday, the conference moves to the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida, where U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security John Kelly, who previously served as SOUTHCOM commander, will host talks on regional security.

"While the United States is indeed the magnet that feeds drug smuggling through Central and South America, it is mostly our friends in Mexico and to the south that feel the brunt of the violence and the crime," Kelly said last month.

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VP Pence: Illegal Immigration From Central America 'Must End' - Voice of America

While the economic report for May was not as strong as it should be, we still added 138,000 jobs. Consumer confidence, which reached a nine-year high post 2016 election, has dipped slightly but remains at very healthy levels. Small business owners confidence also reached its highest levels since 2007. Yet, what about those people who havent been able to find a job? Well, politically, they favor Hillary Clinton, but want less illegal immigration and Obamacare out of their lives. Second, they havent succumbed to doom and gloom. Though they may still be in the waiting lines, 92 percent are hopeful. Express Employment Professionals, a headhunting organization, released a survey last month that polled 1,500 unemployed Americans over the age of 18 from March 14 to April 6 to gauge their feelings on the current economic climate.

They noted that 33 percent of this group agreed with the statement Ive completely given up on looking for a job, which is down from 43 percent in 2016, 40 percent in 2015, and 47 percent in 2014. Also, more blame themselves for being unemployed than the factors impacting the economy. The poll found that 50 percent took responsibility for their situation, while 26 percent blamed the economy. The group noted this is part of a trend. Thirty-four percent blamed the economy in 2016, 37 percent in 2015, and 45 percent in 2014.

Bob Funk, the CEO for Express Pros, said in a statement that while hes alarmed that one-third of the American workforce has said theyve given up, there are signs of a positive trend from previous years; fewer have given up, more are hopeful, fewer blame the economy and fewer are unemployed due to layoffs. Funk was the former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Concerning those who said they were jobless because of layoffs, 22 percent was the figure for 2017, down 23 percent in 2016, 28 percent in 2015, and 36 percent in 2014.

Now, in terms of politics, the unemployed favored Hillary over Trump in a 35/25 split. Thirty-four percent did not vote. Yet, even with unemployed America tilting towards Clinton, they want Obamacare gone by a 57/43 margin. Also, a substantial majority also thought that a crackdown on illegal immigration would help them find work by a 58/42 margin. Concerning whether government should spend more on a jobs program or cut corporate tax rates to spur job creation, more government spending is preferred but by a slim 52/48 margin. Its almost down the middle on that question.

Yet, one troubling indicator is the direction of the country; 40 percent of the unemployed said we were heading down the right path compared to 60 percent who disagreed. At the same time, while these voters broke for Hillary, theyre more aligned with Donald Trump on immigration and health care, which are two huge issues facing the country today. There are many inroads with these voters on economic issues and if Democrats craft a populist, job creating-centric agenda over the next couple of yearsthese people will vote for them. As Real Clear Politics Sean Trende has said in prior discussions about elections and demographics, there are many ways to skin the electoral cat. Republicans resonate with this group on illegal immigrants and Obamacare, while Democrats could gain traction with a serious job program. For now, the political Left seems more worried about Russia and whether were all going to die from global warming now that were withdrawing from a non-binding agreement with Europe. So, seriousness is not a quality visible in todays Democratic Party at present.

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ICMYI: Unemployed Americans said it would be easier to find jobs with less illegal aliens around - Hot Air