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Persuasive Essay Obama Immigration Policy Illegal immigration has been a major issue in the United States (US), for those who leave their home countries for the American dream. These people are deported when found; completely up-rooted from lives they built. This affects illegal immigrants from men and women, which migrate illegally, to their children often, brought to the United States for a better chance at life. Furthermore, this piece will illustrate the issues illegal immigrants face along with a new policy, which has the potential to change lives for illegal immigrants with productive intentions. In June 2012, President Barrack Obama announced a new policy, which could delay illegal immigrants from experiencing deportation. The new policy is aimed at those who illegally came to this country as children, and who have generally stayed out of trouble since they got here (Simon, 2012). Under the administrations new plan, these immigrants would get a temporary, two-year waiver from deportation, and would also be eligible for a work permit (Simon, 2012). Those eligible can seek what amounts to a two-year deferment of any prosecution for being in this country illegally, a deferment, which is infinitely renewable (Fischer, 2012). Scott Horsley from the National Public Radio News (NPR) Stated, â€Å" the policy is aimed at people who came to the U. S. when they were under the age of 16, and whove lived here for at least five years. Those who have gone to school, finished school, gotten their GED, or served in the military, and who are not yet 30 years old. These are, if you will, the most innocent of illegal immigrants, those of whom Mr. Obama said they are Americans in every way but on paper. † This move could affect 800,000 to 1. million illegal immigrants. A few of my own family members could be affected by this. I have cousins, which came to the US illegally with their parents and have excelled since being here in the United States, but the threat of deportation is a constant reality. Some have been victims of crimes, and didn’t contact the authorities, for fear of being torn out of the lives they built. The new policy could be beneficial to my family as well as many other families who fear f amily members not coming home at the end of the day. This could be a temporary solution for the working class immigrants. A few arguments are that some think this back-door amnesty. Gov Jan Brewer stated, What he has done today is he is going to give documentation to nearly a million people that have arrived in our country illegally and not by the rule of law. † Another argument is that the Obama administration has decided to stop following laws already passed by Congress and act as if its preferred policies are law. More particularly, the DREAM Act, which failed to pass Congress. President Obama has used executive power to bring back parts of the DREAM Act, and is going along with policy rather than law. What President Obama has done is legal, but could set a regrettable precedent, where presidents in the future could refuse to follow laws because of disagreement with certain elements of those laws. Illegal immigrants are can apply for the two year waiver from deportation, but it is clear this is not a path to citizenship. Non-citizens will not be able to vote. These immigrants will also have to complete the same application process as all others do for work permits. Federal work permits will be given to those, which are granted prosecutorial deferment. I believe this new policy is a morally right decision. I personally have served in the armed forces with some of these immigrants, and a few have even defended the US better than some US citizens, for a country that does not want them. For example, one of my brothers in arms is a Philippine National, and while serving a deployment in Iraq his wife and newborn son were deported , which led to a long strenuous application process. To be blunt, it is a smack in the face to deport or prosecute veterans for immigration laws because they have served the US government and supported and defended the Constitution were to approve the new policy, immigration courts would be able to shift their focus to the illegal immigrants, which have bad intentions, criminal records, no tax record, or more blatantly put the individuals who should be prosecuted and deported. Some did not even know they were not citizens until they applied for drivers licenses, or college scholarships, etc. I just do not think it is right to deport or prosecute people who are not doing anything to hurt the United States, and if they show promise. So to recapitulate, the immigration policy was announced in June 2012. It has the potential to help, those brought to the US not by their own doing. Specifically, it helps anyone who was under the age of 16 upon illegal entry, has been in the US for five years, not more than 30 years old, veterans, and those with no criminal records.