DHS Amnesty Memo: More Green Cards, Family Parole, Nix DREAMer Age Cap

To prioritize the entry of new illegal immigrants the U.S. government will make it easier to get green cards, remove the age cap on the president’s amnesty for childhood arrivals (DREAMers) and grant parole to family members, according to a senior Homeland Security official with direct knowledge of the administration’s plans.

The new directive, obtained this week by Judicial Watch, was delivered to Homeland Security staff in the form of a memo from a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. The internal document outlines nine initiatives targeted at prioritizing new illegal entries, apprehensions at the borders, criminals, President Obama’s two-year-old amnesty for youths known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and new deferred action for parents.

Besides removing the age cap for DACA (under 31 as of June 15, 2012), the plan expands eligibility to three years and creates a “new DACA” in six months for illegal alien parents who have lived in the U.S. for five years. The document also suggests that other family members could be paroled in place. Obtaining U.S. residency—or a green card—will also be easier under an initiative to promote employment for foreigners in high tech areas, according to the memo. Additionally, a provisional waiver program will be expanded and credit cards will be accepted for immigration fees to the federal government.

The federal-local partnership known as Secure Communities will be replaced under the administration’s new plan, according to JW’s high-level source in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Long targeted by the powerful open borders lobby, Secure Communities requires local authorities to check the fingerprints of arrestees against a federal database. This has led to the deportation of dangerous criminals, many of whom have fallen through the cracks over the years. But immigrant rights advocates insist the program is racist, has led to the removal of hard-working immigrants who contribute to society and has tragically separated families.

On a somewhat positive note, the new DHS directive lists strengthening border security, capturing terrorists and felons as top priorities though it offers no specifics on how it will be carried out. Middle priorities include illegal aliens with three or more misdemeanors, abuse of visa and entry or re-entry after January, 2014. Fugitives and those who violate a final order of removal will be considered low priority, according to the DHS document.