U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Commends President Obama on Issuance of Immigration Accountability Executive Action

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by majority vote commends President Obama on his issuance of the Immigration Accountability Executive Action, which focuses on repairing some of the fundamental flaws in our current immigration system.

The Commission stated, "We understand the outlined actions are not comprehensive, and in order to fully modernize our system of immigration, Congress will need to act. Nevertheless, the actions taken by the President today allow immigrants to come out of the shadows, expand DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to protect more DREAMers (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors), allow families to remain together as they forge ahead toward the American Dream, and protect victims of human trafficking.

"The Commission has shown a historic interest in the issue of immigration to our great nation. In 1980, the Commission issued a systemic examination of U.S. 'immigration law, practice and procedure.'^[1] The Tarnished Golden Door: Civil Rights Issues in Immigration identified numerous problems with the laws as they were and the manner in which the then-chief immigration agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, administered and enforced those laws. The Commission and several of its state advisory committees have periodically held briefings and issued reports concerning discrete issues related to immigration.^[2] In April 2003, the Commission issued Summary of Migrant Civil Rights Issues Along the Southwest Border.^[3] More recently, we held a briefing in Alabama on the civil rights implications of state immigration enforcement laws, and in January of 2015 we will hold a briefing on the civil rights conditions at immigration detentions facilities, as well as the civil rights of the recently arrived unaccompanied minor refugees.

"With today's Executive Action, President Obama has taken important steps to make the system more fair and just, and to protect the rights of immigrants and citizens alike.  However, until the system is completely repaired, this Commission will continue to examine how the civil rights of individuals are affected by our immigration system."

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing an annual federal civil rights enforcement report. For information about Commission's reports and meetings, visit http://www.usccr.gov.

[1] The Tarnished Golden Door: Civil Rights Issues in Immigration (Sept. 1980), at 3.

[2] See, e.g., Briefing to the Commission on San Diego Border Issues, The Results of Operation Gatekeeper (Nov. 14, 2002); Briefing on Immigration Issues: Proposition 187, Immigration Reform, and Civil Rights (Dec. 16, 1994); Federal Immigration Law Enforcement in the Southwest: Civil Rights Impacts on Border Communities (Mar. 1997) (Joint report of the AZ, CA, NM & TX SACs). Overcoming the Barriers Faced by Immigrants (Sept. 2010) (NJ SAC) Civil Rights Implications of Michigan House Bill No. 6256, "Immigration Law Enforcement Act" (Sept. 2011) (MI SAC).

[3] Available at http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/migrant/summary.htm.

Media contact: Marlene Sallo
Staff Director
(202) 376-7700
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights