Obama's deportation focus shifts from gay families

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Reflecting a change in deportation policy, the Obama administration has dropped its attempt to remove a member of a same-sex California couple who overstayed his visa.

The announcement in a case pending before an immigration judge in San Francisco represents the administration's decision to put a greater focus on deporting criminals and less emphasis on removing illegal immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding and have family ties in the United States.

Families, the administration has concluded, include gay and lesbian couples.

"The administration has demonstrated it can prevent a married same-sex couple from being torn apart by a 'DOMA deportation,' " said Lavi Soloway, the couple's lawyer. He was referring to the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that bars federal benefits for same-sex couples.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-08-23/news/29917260_1_deportation-case-lavi-soloway-immigration-status

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Really, we ought to focus on removing the gheys and leave those poor criminals alone!

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Logically, an anti immigration organization should sue the administration for this so that we can get a judicial decision on this.

I think both sides of the argument can agree with that.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Gay Families...two words that contradict each other.

[peejay 327]

Law-abiding illegal alien...more wording that contradicts itself. Welcome to the weird and sleazy sad saga of Obama-rama. Just another reason to dump this assclown in 2012. America can do better. America deserves better.

Edited August 28, 2011 by peejay

[scandal 951]

Law-abiding illegal alien...more wording that contradicts itself.

Um, the phrase was

illegal immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding

Not quite such an oxymoron as you purport. The word "otherwise" is key in the parsing.

[Ready to do it 101]

What happens if the courts were to rule that Obama's new policy is declared unconstitutional etc.... after they have gotten all the illegal aliens to provide all their data (names, addresses, etc) to get the work permit? I can see the sh*t hitting the fan now with human rights lawsuits after the anit-immigration organizations lawsuit. Yawn... a never-ending even more costly mess.

Here's the irony. While some Congress members will fight that Obama cannot do this, I wonder how many of them actually supported something like this while Obama was campaigning... or when Bush tried to propose immigration reform. End of the day, Congress can b*tch because it's something to yell and scream about, but how many of them "really" want to send the illegals home?

Logically, an anti immigration organization should sue the administration for this so that we can get a judicial decision on this.

I think both sides of the argument can agree with that.

[bigdog 376]

Gay Families...two words that contradict each other.

Yes they do.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Yes they do.

It's the administration's policy, and the administration can interpret, or enforce that policy, or any policy, anyway they want. Like the founder and mascot of the Democratic Party, President Andrew Jackson, said of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the subject of removing the Indians from their land, "John Marshall has made his decision: now let him enforce it!"

Edited August 28, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[Pooky 3,355]

Here's the irony. While some Congress members will fight that Obama cannot do this, I wonder how many of them actually supported something like this while Obama was campaigning... or when Bush tried to propose immigration reform.

If you remember, BushBaby's attempt at immigration reform got nowhere, either. The groundswell of public opinion at the time made sure his administration's proposals never made it through Congress.

Ever get the feeling that the American electorate wants enforcement of the current laws far more than they want to reform them?