The United of America has congratulated Nigerians over the peaceful conduct of the recent general elections. The US government said President Goodluck Jonathan deserves commendation for not only setting up a dependable electoral mechanism that promoted credible and acceptable elections throughout the country but offered to concede defeat to the opposition party candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, for democracy and peace to thrive in the country. Speaking during the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, USA INC. (AKISAN) Convention in Houston Texas, a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas’s 18th Congressional District, Mrs. Sheila Jackson-Lee said Nigeria’s steps towards enshrining democracy was undoubtedly, exemplary.
“The whole world agrees that though there are growing concerns about Nigeria being portrayed in the negative light due to the actions and inactions of a few selfish individuals, Nigeria has proven to the world that it is leading by example, promoting peace and tolerance in Africa. The United States of America is very proud to see the democratic progress in Nigeria under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. The recent election was adjudged by President Barack Obama and other world leaders as fair, peaceful and credible.” Mrs. Jackson-Lee asserts.
The Congress woman urged Nigeria to continue to lead by example even as she described Nigerians as peace-loving people and urge the coming leader, General Muhammadu Buhari to promote education, establish good health facilities for the country and tackle the terrorist activities by Boko Haram. She said the kidnapping of over 200 girls and by the terrorist group was a stigma to human conscience and urge Nigeria leaders to do everything to ensure the release of the girls.
Ms. Jackson-Lee used the occasion to praise President of United States of America Mr. Barack Obama for ensuring freedom, equality and justice for all Americans and the immigrants living the United States, urging Nigeria and America to work together to promote justice and freedom.
One of the high points of the occasion was the award of certificate of recognition given to the Akwa Ibom People of Nigeria under the umbrella of AKISAN by the United States House of Representatives.
1 OF 6. New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver stops to speak at microphones as he leaves the U.S. Federal Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City
CREDIT: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON
(Reuters) – New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the state’s most powerful politicians for more than two decades, was charged on Thursday with pocketing $4 million from bribery and kickback schemes.
Silver, a Democrat who has served as the highest-ranking state assemblyman since 1994, was accused in a federal criminal complaint in New York, as authorities moved to seize $3.8 million in proceeds tied to the alleged corruption.
The 70-year-old Silver, a licensed lawyer who represents Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is known as one of Albany’s three most powerful men, alongside Governor Andrew Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. He has been a leading voice in years of negotiations over state budgets and key legislation.
The Assembly canceled its Thursday session following Silver’s arrest, less than two weeks after the new legislative session opened.
Silver would lose his seat if convicted of any of five felony counts and faces a maximum of 20 years of prison on each count.
He became the latest addition to a long line of New York politicians implicated in corruption scandals. At least 30 New York politicians have faced legal or ethics charges since 2000.
“As today’s charges make clear, the show-me-the-money culture of Albany has been perpetuated and promoted at the very top of the political food chain,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters.
At a brief court appearance on Thursday afternoon, a judge released Silver on a $200,000 bond.
Asked for a comment outside the courtroom, he said, “I am confident that after a full hearing and due process I will be vindicated for these charges.”
Despite some calls for Silver’s resignation, Albany Democrats emerged from a private meeting on Thursday to declare their support for him, with Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle saying the members “overwhelmingly” stood behind Silver.
Cuomo has not commented on the arrest, but said in an interview with the New York Daily News that it was “a bad reflection on government,” adding that he didn’t know enough to form a judgment about the case.
Another prominent Democrat, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, said he did not think Silver should step down, citing his “due process rights.”
“In my experience with Shelly Silver, I’ve seen integrity and public service,” de Blasio told reporters, according to a transcript released by his office.
‘CASHING IN’
In 2013, Cuomo launched an anticorruption panel called the Moreland Commission to probe wrongdoing in the state’s capital.
But he abruptly shut the commission down in March, drawing criticism from Bharara, whose office took possession of its files to continue any investigations.
The commission’s work was merged with an ongoing federal probe of Silver’s outside income initiated in June 2013, the criminal complaint said.
Silver had long listed New York personal injury firm Weitz & Luxenberg on his financial disclosure forms as a source of income for representing its clients in cases.
But the complaint said over $3 million of his income was for referring asbestos sufferers from a doctor whose research had been secretly provided $500,000 in state funds at Silver’s direction, as well as other benefits.
Prosecutors said Silver also received $700,000 in kickbacks by steering real estate developers with business before the legislature to another law firm, identified by its defense lawyer as Goldberg & Iryami.
“He simply sat back and collected millions of dollars by cashing in on his political office,” Bharara said.
Weitz & Luxenberg in a statement said it had cooperated with the investigation and was “not aware of any improprieties whatsoever.” Michael Ross, a lawyer for Goldberg & Iryami, declined comment on the allegations.
The complaint did not name the doctor but said he had created a mesothelioma research center at a New York university hospital.
Details in the complaint match those of Robert Taub, a professor at Columbia University. In 2011, the assembly passed a resolution, sponsored by Silver, honoring Taub for his contributions to mesothelioma treatment.
A spokesman for Columbia said it had no knowledge of the allegations and will cooperate with the investigation. Taub did not respond to a request for comment.
After surrendering to authorities in lower Manhattan at about 8 a.m., a somber-looking Silver headed to nearby federal court, wearing a dark suit and a black hat, his car mobbed by reporters and photographers.
“It is unfortunate that the prosecutors chose to pursue this as a criminal case,” Silver’s attorney, Steven Molo, said by email. “We intend to vigorously contest the charges and Mr. Silver looks forward to his day in court.”
Silver’s longtime Senate counterpart, Joseph Bruno, was acquitted in May at a retrial on bribery charges.
One of Silver’s predecessors as speaker, Mel Miller, was convicted of corruption in the early 1990s, but the conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court.
Two former state Senate Democratic leaders, John Sampson and Malcolm Smith, are also facing criminal charges.
(Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Joseph Ax in New York and Daniel Wiessner in Albany; Writing by Barbara Goldberg and Nate Raymond; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Will Dunham and Christian Plumb)
President Obama dropped a Saturday night bomb on Republicans by announcing a new tax plan that would provide tax breaks for the middle class while forcing the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
The White House laid out the president’s plan via a fact sheet:
Closing One of the Biggest Tax Loopholes – the Trust Fund Loophole: The President will propose to close the single largest capital gains loophole, which lets hundreds of billions of dollars escape taxation each year, to ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share on inherited assets.
Raising the Total Top Capital Gains and Dividends Rate Back to the Level Under President Reagan: The President will propose to raise the top capital gains rate to 28 percent – the rate under President Reagan.
Making the Biggest Financial Firms Pay Their Fair Share: The President will continue to reform the way the largest financial firms do business by proposing a fee on the biggest financial firms, making it more costly for them to borrow heavily.
The President proposes to use the savings produced by these measures to reinvest in the middle class, helping millions of families each year and strengthening their standing in the 21st century economy:
Helping Working Families: The President will lay out a new $500 second earner credit to help cover the additional costs faced by families where both spouses work – benefiting 24 million couples.
Tripling the Child Care Tax Credit: The President’s proposal would streamline and dramatically expand child care tax benefits, providing up to $3,000 per child under 5, and helping 5.1 million families cover child care costs for 6.7 million children.
Making College Accessible and Affordable: The President’s plan reforms the education tax system by consolidating six overlapping education provisions into just two and providing students up to $2,500 a year toward completing a college degree. His plan cuts taxes for 8.5 million families and students and simplifies taxes for the more than 25 million families and students that claim education tax benefits. The President has also proposed to make the first two years of community college free to any hardworking student.
Saving for Retirement: The President’s plan makes it easy and automatic for workers to save for retirement – giving 30 million more workers the opportunity to easily save for retirement through their employer.
The president has once again beaten the Republicans to the punch. While Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader McConnell were focused on corporate tax reform, President Obama has announced a plan that would be a step towards addressing the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else.
President Obama’s plan will cut taxes for 8.5 million families and students. Republicans will now have to decide if they are willing to argue against the very tax cuts that they claim to love.
Obama has dropped another bomb on the GOP, and Republicans have revealed themselves to be overmatched and inept against this powerful president.
Police in St. Louis County, MO are apologizing for beating up and handcuffing a 22-year-old student who they mistook for a suspect in a car chase Thursday afternoon. But the college junior, Joseph Swink, has been left with severe damage to his ear and a totaled car, according to KMOV St. Louis.
Swink reportedly crashed his car when he was trying to get out of the way of a police chase. When the car started filling with smoke, he ran away, prompting police to come after him thinking he was the suspect they were chasing. Photographs show Swink’s face brutally beaten and bloodied after his encounter with the cops.
According to St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jimenez, “All the sirens and lights were going off. It was very loud and they couldn’t hear anything the citizen was saying.” Eventually, they got a radio call saying the real suspect was in custody.
While the St. Ann Police Department is apologizing, they say the mistaken identity has “zero to do about race.” Swink feels differently, telling Fox 2 Newshe feared for his life. “There was nobody black on the scene, just a lot of white cops. I didn’t feel safe around them,” he said. “I think they probably felt they could get away with it because I was and they can do this.”
He had reason to be afraid. Young black men like Swink are 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white men, often because police use vague racial profiles that make every black man a potential threat.
It could have been worse if the officers had not gotten the radio call when they did. The now infamous police in nearby Ferguson, MO mistakenly arrested one man in 2009, beat him, and then charged him with destruction of property for getting his blood on their uniforms.
Swink had no criminal record and is studying accounting in school. His grandmother told Fox 2, “This is all we ask of our young men, to do the right thing, become productive citizens in this country and he’s not being given that opportunity because someone has mistaken him for a criminal and that upsets me very much.”
Judge James R. Spencer revealed McDonnell’s punishment after being found guilty Sept. 4. on 11 of 13 federal charges filed against him. McDonnell was convicted of trading access to the power of the governor’s office for more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts, and prosecutors wanted him to spend more than 10 years in federal prison.
“I stand before you a heartbroken and humbled man,” McDonnell said in court.
Spencer, who presided over the six-week trial, determined Tuesday that federal sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of 78 to 97 months — 6½ to a little more than 8 years — saying an obstruction-of-justice enhancement shouldn’t count if McDonnell gave testimony that the jury did not believe. Spencer does not have to adhere to federal guidelines in determining McDonnell’s sentence, but federal judges do use them most of the time.
ONPOLITICS
McDonnell could join infamous club of governors who were jailed
The judge received almost 450 letters attesting to McDonnell’s integrity and asking for mercy before sentencing. And McDonnell supporters, including former NFL standout Bruce Smith; McDonnell family members; McDonnell’s wife, Maureen; and several state lawmakers packed the courthouse.
“He’s been punished enough,” Speaker William J. Howell of the Virginia House of Delegates said in court testimony. The Republican politician from Falmouth, Va., and the former governor have been friends for decades.
USA TODAY
If prison’s in cards for McDonnell, he’ll likely go to camp
McDonnell’s wife, tried at the same time as her husband, was convicted on nine of 13 charges filed against her. One of her convictions was later dropped. Her sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20.
The businessman who was seeking government support for his company’s products, former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, received immunity for testifying against the McDonnells.
Prosecutors had recommended that McDonnell, 60, be sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison. Defense lawyers asked that McDonnell receive probation and be sentenced to 6,000 hours of intensive community service.
Several charities have offered McDonnell volunteer positions, including religious broadcaster Pat Robertson’s Operation Blessing, which had jobs managing a hunger relief program in Appalachia and another working at an orphanage and fish farm in Haiti.
“If Bob McDonnell were buried in jail, … it would be like burying something of enormous value,” according to testimony from William F. Horan, Operation Blessing’s executive director, as recounted in The Washington Post‘s sentencing blog.
However, it’s unlikely the former governor will avoid prison entirely. On Monday, the day before the sentencing, McDonnell’s lawyers filed a motion asking the judge to allow the former governor to remain out of prison on bond pending the outcome of the appeal.
Included among the nearly 1,000 pages of documents filed by McDonnell’s legal team are 443 letters from family, friends and former colleagues urging the judge to give the former governor a lenient sentence.
USA TODAY
Convicted ex-Va. governor’s lawyers push for no jail time
Each of McDonnell’s five children — he has three daughters and twin sons — wrote letters on their father’s behalf. Some children told the judge that their mother made bad decisions and solicited money and gifts behind their father’s back and without his knowledge.
McDonnell also received support from notable political and business figures, including Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va.; Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms; former Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant; and developer Bruce Thompson. Some testified for leniency in his punishment.
One of the McDonnell jurors believes that a lenient sentence would be a slap in the face to justice.
“Good people can do bad things,” Robin Trujillo said. “We talked, we went through documents about the testimony and looked at all the evidence.
“It was just overwhelming. It was also just staring us in the face,” Trujillo said.
She’s disturbed by all the letters seeking leniency.
“It was not just some small little thing. It was major, and it went on for a very long time,” Trujillo said.
Many of the 400 letters attest to the former governor’s character.
“It’s never been about how nice you are,” Trujillo said. “It’s what you did, what you allowed to happen.”
McDonnell once was considered a possible running mate for 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. McDonnell delivered the 2010 Republican response to the State of the Union Address and became chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2011.
McDonnell was indicted 10 days after leaving office, the first Virginia governor to face indictment.
Political analyst Bob Holsworth, who observed the trial, said he was surprised with some the letters, including one from McDonnell’s sister Maureen, which repeats the failed defense strategy of blaming his wife.
“Why the defense would enable or solicit letters that would in some way replay the trail again seemed to me to be a very curious strategy and one that I don’t think is going to work very well,” Holsworth said.
Henry Asbill, one of McDonnell’s lead lawyers, said in September that his client would appeal. However, an appeal cannot be filed until after sentencing.
Throughout the trial and in the months since, McDonnell and his lawyers have argued that the laws under which he was convicted are unconstitutionally vague.
Most of the charges filed against the McDonnells stem from the Hobbs Act, which makes it illegal for public officials to take bribes.
Prosecutors contend that McDonnell took gifts from Williams in exchange for a continuing stream of favors and access. But, at trial, they acknowledged that they could not pinpoint one specific quid pro quo. Because of that, their client should not have been convicted, McDonnell’s lawyers argue.
USA TODAY
Backgrounder: Trial of former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell
Defense lawyers argue that their appeal will raise new and significant legal questions that could have a major bearing on the outcome of his case.
If McDonnell does receive jail time, Spencer could grant him bond, order him to report to prison at a later date or order U.S. marshals to take him into custody immediately.
Contributing: Peggy Fox, WUSA-TV, Washington; The Associated Press
HAYDEN, Idaho – A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reached into her purse at a northern Idaho Walmart and her concealed gun fired, authorities said Tuesday.
Kootenai County sheriff’s spokesman Stu Miller told The Associated Press the woman was shopping with her son and three other children. Her family had come to the area to visit relatives, he said.
The woman was identified as Veronica J. Rutledge, 29, of Blackfoot, Idaho. Authorities said she had a concealed weapons permit. Miller said the young boy was left in a shopping cart, reached into the victim’s purse and grabbed a small caliber handgun, which discharged one time.
“It appears to be a pretty tragic accident,” Miller said.
A scene of the parking lot at the Walmart in Hayden, Idaho, where a woman was killed.
KREM
Rutledge’s husband was not in the store when the shooting happened at about 10:20 a.m. Miller said the man arrived shortly after the shooting. All the children were taken to a relative’s house.
The shooting occurred in the Walmart in Hayden, Idaho, a town about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington.
The store closed and was not expected to reopen until Wednesday morning.
Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Walmart, said in a statement the shooting was a “very sad and tragic accident.”
“We are working closely with the local sheriff’s department while they investigate what happened,” Buchanan said.
Hayden is a politically conservative town of about 9,000 people just north of Coeur d’Alene in Idaho’s northern panhandle.
“A very sad incident occurred at our store today involving the death of a female customer. We are fully cooperating with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies as they investigate this matter.”
Google Earth image of the Walmart in Hayden, Idaho.
A white man who pleaded guilty to six robberies in Ohio used a black mask so lifelike that police initially arrested a black man for one of the crimes.
The mother of the wrongly accused man even thought a photo of the robbery suspect she saw on television was a photo of her son.
Conrad Zdzierak, 30, pleaded guilty Monday in Hamilton County Ohio to one count of aggravated robbery and five counts of robbery in a plea deal with prosecutors.
Conrad Zdzierak targeted four banks and a chemist within the space of three hours wearing the mask
An unnamed black man’s mother saw a surveillance video picture like this one on television and believed the robber was her son
The silicone mask, purchased from a California costume company, behaves like real flesh and muscle
He faces up to 35 years in prison at his January 7 sentencing.
In exchange, prosecutors dismissed 12 charges and decided not to seek indictments for other crimes, prosecutor spokeswoman Julie Wilson said.
‘Conrad apologises to everyone, is sorry for any harm he has caused and accepts responsibility for his actions,’ his lawyer Christopher McDowell said.
Zdzierak stole about $15,000 in the robberies of four banks, a credit union and a pharmacy that occurred in March and April – crimes in which witnesses reported that the robber was black and surveillance video appeared to show a black man.
Zdzierak’s masked resemblance to the black man who was initially arrested was so similar that some witnesses even identified a photo of the black man as the one who robbed them, McDowell said.
The prosecutor’s office would not release the name of the wrongly accused man.
Zdzierak was arrested at a hotel after his girlfriend called police after seeing reports of the robberies and finding two masks and money stained by dye that is used to track robbers, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
McDowell said his client purchased the masks from SPFXmasks, based in Van Nuys, California. The silicone masks ‘look and behave like real flesh and muscle,’ the company’s website says.
Owner Rusty Slusser said Tuesday his company’s masks are normally bought for movies, Halloween, haunted houses and stage shows, but the Ohio case was not the first time they have been used for criminal purposes.
‘We do not condone any illegal activity with our masks,’ Slusser said.
Washington — A senior Republican staffer is resigning after her comments that the Obama daughters should “try showing a little class” caused a firestorm of criticism on social media this weekend.
Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for Tennessee Rep. Stephen Fincher, confirmed to CNN that she planned to resign Monday.
She faced heavy backlash when she wrote a Thanksgiving-Day screed against the Obama daughters, as well as the President and first lady, on Facebook that quickly went viral across the web. In it, she scolded Malia and Sasha Obama, 16 and 13 years old, respectively, for what she said was their inappropriate outfits and their bored looks during Wednesday’s turkey pardoning ceremony, which they attended alongside their father.
“Dear Sasha and Malia: I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play,” Lauten wrote in the post.
“Then again, your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter,” she added. “So I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department.”
Lauten went on to tell them to “stretch yourself…rise to the occasion” and “act like being in the White House matters to you.”
“Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar. And certainly don’t make faces during televised, public events,” she concluded.
Hours later, after her comments picked up steam on social media, Lauten deleted it and wrote another post apologizing for her comments.
Neither chief of staff Jessica Carter nor Fincher responded to requests for comment via email.
But she found few defenders this weekend, even drawing a rebuke from Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer via Twitter on Monday morning.
“Children, especially the first daughters, are off limits,” he tweeted.
But Spicer was far more displeased with the way the comments were covered by the media than he was with the comments themselves.
“While the comments were inappropriate and insensitive, the mainstream media’s coverage of this story is appalling. In over 20 years in politics I have never seen 1 of the countless inappropriate comments by Democrats ever covered to a faction of this,” Spicer added.
President Obama announces executive actions on U.S. immigration policy during a nationally televised address from the White House on Thursday.
Pool/Getty Images
After six years of often bitter back-and-forth with congressional Republicans over the issue of immigration, President Obama announced he has decided to go it alone by temporarily shielding up to 5 million immigrants from being deported.
In a prime-time speech to the country on Thursday, Obama said that he would defer the deportation of the parents of children who are either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, and that he also would expand that protection to more “DREAMers,” or children who entered the country illegally with their parents. Those two groups also will be allowed to work in the United States legally, after passing a background check and paying a fee.
In Short…
Obama’s executive action:
— Delays the deportation of the undocumented parents of children who are in the country legally.
— It also protects any children who were brought to this country illegally before January 1, 2010.
— It directs immigration officials to concentrate on deporting criminals and those who pose a threat to national security.
Obama said the executive action did not amount to amnesty, because it does not provide for a path to legalization.
Hitting back against Republican critics, he also defended the legality of his actions, saying every president in the past 50 years has taken similar steps.
“To those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill,” Obama said. “I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.”
Even before Obama delivered his speech, congressional Republicans warned that this action would kill any chance of passing comprehensive immigration legislation. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn took it a step further, warning of a political and social firestorm.
“The country’s going to go nuts, because they’re going to see it as a move outside the authority of the president, and it’s going to be a very serious situation,” Coburn said in an interview with USA Today. “You’re going to see — hopefully not — but you could see instances of anarchy. … You could see violence.”
We live blogged the speech, so keep reading for a detailed version of events:
Update at 9:19 p.m. ET. ‘We’re Gonna Stay Together’:
Washington Post reporter Katie Zezima was at a watch party in Arizona with immigration activists. She’s been posting Vines that show an emotional reaction to President Obama’s executive action.
Astrid Silva, the young woman mentioned in Obama’s speech, cried as she told a reporter that her parents would not have to “live in fear” because her younger brother was a U.S. citizen.
Here’s video of Bianca Gamez, whose parents brought her into the country illegally when she was a child:
Update at 8:57 p.m. ET. ‘A Historic Victory’:
In a statement, Cristina Jimenez, the managing director of United We Dream, one of the organizations that has been pushing for immigration reform on behalf of “DREAMers,” called tonight’s announcement a “historic victory.”
She said that tonight’s executive action will result in 5 million people living “without fear.” But, she said, there are still too many who will live under threat of deportation.
“This is a long-term struggle,” Jimenez said. “We will continue organizing until our entire community can come forward and enjoy the full rights of citizenship.”
Update at 8:46 p.m. ET. Video Of The Speech:
Via the PBS Newshour, here’s video of Obama’s full 15-minute speech:
YouTube
Update at 8:16 p.m. ET. An Appeal To American Exceptionalism:
To wrap up his 15-minute speech, President Obama did what he often does in major speeches: He appealed to American exceptionalism.
He said:
“Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger — we were strangers once, too.
“My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.”
Update at 8:11 p.m. ET. A Bigger Debate:
After asking Congress not to shut down the government over this, Obama turns to the American public and asks them to remember that this is about a greater debate.
He said:
“It’s about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations.
“Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future?”
“Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together?
“Are we a nation that educates the world’s best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us? Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs, businesses, and industries right here in America?”
That’s what this debate is all about. We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration; we need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears.
Update at 8:08 p.m. ET. No Path To Citizenship:
“This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently,” Obama says. “It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”
Update at 8:06 p.m. ET. Prioritizing:
Obama says he will direct law enforcement to focus their deportation efforts on criminals.
“That’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security,” Obama said. “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.”
Update at 8:04 p.m. ET. Congressional Inaction:
Obama says that this problem is best solved through legislation, but the House has refused to act.
“Until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President — the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just,” Obama said.
“Tonight, I am announcing those actions.”
Update at 8:03 p.m. ET. Touts Immigration Record:
President Obama touts his record on securing the U.S./Mexico border:
“When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.”
Update at 8:02 p.m. ET. Immigration System Is Broken:
President Obama begins by telling the American people that the country’s immigration system is broken.
“It’s been this way for decades,” Obama said. ” And for decades, we haven’t done much about it.”
Update at 7:31 p.m. ET. The Fine Print:
We’ve outlined in broad terms what is included in Obama’s executive action. If you’re curious, here’s the fine print, according to the White House:
— The parents of legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens will be able to apply for temporary relief from deportation and a work permit if they have lived in the country for more than five years.
— Obama will expand his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to include any children who were brought to this country illegally before January 1, 2010. Before, the president had deferred the deportation of those born after 1981 who had entered the country before June 15, 2007.
— Neither of those two groups will be given a green card. Both of them will be able to get a Social Security card, but they will not be eligible for Social Security benefits.
— About 4 out of the 5 million estimated to qualify for deferred action will be parents of American children.
— On the enforcement front: The administration will now concentrate on deporting criminals and those who pose a threat to national security. This means an unknown number of immigrants may continue to live in the United States illegally but without the threat of deportation.
In many public appearances, Obama said he did not have the legal authority to act unilaterally on the issue of immigration.
“If we start broadening that,” Obama said referring to an earlier executive action that deferred the deportation of young immigrants, “then essentially I’ll be ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally. So that’s not an option.”
The action that Obama will announce today very clearly expands on his earlier directive to suspend the deportation of DREAMERs, children who entered the country illegally with the parents.
Update at 6:51 p.m. ET. A ‘Middle Ground’:
The White House has released two excerpts of President Obama’s prime-time speech. In the first, he says that this approach is not amnesty. Instead, the president will say, leaving the system the way it is amounts to amnesty.
“Mass amnesty would be unfair,” Obama will say. “Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability — a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.”
Obama will also challenge Republicans who question the legality and wisdom of his executive actions by asking them to “pass a bill.”
Update at 6:17 p.m. ET. The Legal Authority:
In a briefing with reporters Thursday afternoon, a senior White House official explained the legal reasoning behind the two big actions.
First, the senior administration official said, the executive branch is given “prosecutorial discretion” by the constitution. That means the Department of Homeland Security can set enforcement priorities and can decide whom to deport.
Second, they say that providing relief to young undocumented immigrants and to the parents of U.S. citizen children is justified on humanitarian grounds.
The official said the action is predicated on a desire not to separate parents from kids who are lawful, and an understanding that’s a relationship Congress wants to respect.
The White House official pointed out that every president going back to President Dwight Eisenhower has used this kind of authority and President George H.W. Bush used his to give relief to 1.5 million children, about 40 percent of the undocumented population in the country at the time.
Rep. Raul Labrador, a Republican from Idaho, told All Things Considered, he believed this action is illegal.
“Instead of working together to fix our broken immigration system, the president says he’s acting on his own. That’s just not how our democracy works. The president has said before that ‘he’s not king’ and he’s ‘not an emperor,’ but he’s sure acting like one. And he’s doing it a time when the American people want nothing more than for us to work together.”
Update at 6:02 p.m. ET. Relief For Others:
Senior administration officials said the Department of Homeland Security will also put out new guidelines for enforcement.
Immigration officials will prioritize the deportation of criminals and new arrivals, which means that some of the immigrants who don’t qualify for relief and have been in the United States for a while may never be deported.
President Obama announces executive actions on U.S. immigration policy during a nationally televised address from the White House on Thursday.
Pool/Getty Images
After six years of often bitter back-and-forth with congressional Republicans over the issue of immigration, President Obama announced he has decided to go it alone by temporarily shielding up to 5 million immigrants from being deported.
In a prime-time speech to the country on Thursday, Obama said that he would defer the deportation of the parents of children who are either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, and that he also would expand that protection to more “DREAMers,” or children who entered the country illegally with their parents. Those two groups also will be allowed to work in the United States legally, after passing a background check and paying a fee.
In Short…
Obama’s executive action:
— Delays the deportation of the undocumented parents of children who are in the country legally.
— It also protects any children who were brought to this country illegally before January 1, 2010.
— It directs immigration officials to concentrate on deporting criminals and those who pose a threat to national security.
Obama said the executive action did not amount to amnesty, because it does not provide for a path to legalization.
Hitting back against Republican critics, he also defended the legality of his actions, saying every president in the past 50 years has taken similar steps.
“To those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill,” Obama said. “I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.”
Even before Obama delivered his speech, congressional Republicans warned that this action would kill any chance of passing comprehensive immigration legislation. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn took it a step further, warning of a political and social firestorm.
“The country’s going to go nuts, because they’re going to see it as a move outside the authority of the president, and it’s going to be a very serious situation,” Coburn said in an interview with USA Today. “You’re going to see — hopefully not — but you could see instances of anarchy. … You could see violence.”
We live blogged the speech, so keep reading for a detailed version of events:
Update at 9:19 p.m. ET. ‘We’re Gonna Stay Together’:
Washington Post reporter Katie Zezima was at a watch party in Arizona with immigration activists. She’s been posting Vines that show an emotional reaction to President Obama’s executive action.
Astrid Silva, the young woman mentioned in Obama’s speech, cried as she told a reporter that her parents would not have to “live in fear” because her younger brother was a U.S. citizen.
Here’s video of Bianca Gamez, whose parents brought her into the country illegally when she was a child:
Update at 8:57 p.m. ET. ‘A Historic Victory’:
In a statement, Cristina Jimenez, the managing director of United We Dream, one of the organizations that has been pushing for immigration reform on behalf of “DREAMers,” called tonight’s announcement a “historic victory.”
She said that tonight’s executive action will result in 5 million people living “without fear.” But, she said, there are still too many who will live under threat of deportation.
“This is a long-term struggle,” Jimenez said. “We will continue organizing until our entire community can come forward and enjoy the full rights of citizenship.”
Update at 8:46 p.m. ET. Video Of The Speech:
Via the PBS Newshour, here’s video of Obama’s full 15-minute speech:
YouTube
Update at 8:16 p.m. ET. An Appeal To American Exceptionalism:
To wrap up his 15-minute speech, President Obama did what he often does in major speeches: He appealed to American exceptionalism.
He said:
“Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger — we were strangers once, too.
“My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.”
Update at 8:11 p.m. ET. A Bigger Debate:
After asking Congress not to shut down the government over this, Obama turns to the American public and asks them to remember that this is about a greater debate.
He said:
“It’s about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations.
“Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future?”
“Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together?
“Are we a nation that educates the world’s best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us? Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs, businesses, and industries right here in America?”
That’s what this debate is all about. We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration; we need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears.
Update at 8:08 p.m. ET. No Path To Citizenship:
“This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently,” Obama says. “It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”
Update at 8:06 p.m. ET. Prioritizing:
Obama says he will direct law enforcement to focus their deportation efforts on criminals.
“That’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security,” Obama said. “Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.”
Update at 8:04 p.m. ET. Congressional Inaction:
Obama says that this problem is best solved through legislation, but the House has refused to act.
“Until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President — the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me — that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just,” Obama said.
“Tonight, I am announcing those actions.”
Update at 8:03 p.m. ET. Touts Immigration Record:
President Obama touts his record on securing the U.S./Mexico border:
“When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.”
Update at 8:02 p.m. ET. Immigration System Is Broken:
President Obama begins by telling the American people that the country’s immigration system is broken.
“It’s been this way for decades,” Obama said. ” And for decades, we haven’t done much about it.”
Update at 7:31 p.m. ET. The Fine Print:
We’ve outlined in broad terms what is included in Obama’s executive action. If you’re curious, here’s the fine print, according to the White House:
— The parents of legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens will be able to apply for temporary relief from deportation and a work permit if they have lived in the country for more than five years.
— Obama will expand his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to include any children who were brought to this country illegally before January 1, 2010. Before, the president had deferred the deportation of those born after 1981 who had entered the country before June 15, 2007.
— Neither of those two groups will be given a green card. Both of them will be able to get a Social Security card, but they will not be eligible for Social Security benefits.
— About 4 out of the 5 million estimated to qualify for deferred action will be parents of American children.
— On the enforcement front: The administration will now concentrate on deporting criminals and those who pose a threat to national security. This means an unknown number of immigrants may continue to live in the United States illegally but without the threat of deportation.
In many public appearances, Obama said he did not have the legal authority to act unilaterally on the issue of immigration.
“If we start broadening that,” Obama said referring to an earlier executive action that deferred the deportation of young immigrants, “then essentially I’ll be ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally. So that’s not an option.”
The action that Obama will announce today very clearly expands on his earlier directive to suspend the deportation of DREAMERs, children who entered the country illegally with the parents.
Update at 6:51 p.m. ET. A ‘Middle Ground’:
The White House has released two excerpts of President Obama’s prime-time speech. In the first, he says that this approach is not amnesty. Instead, the president will say, leaving the system the way it is amounts to amnesty.
“Mass amnesty would be unfair,” Obama will say. “Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability — a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.”
Obama will also challenge Republicans who question the legality and wisdom of his executive actions by asking them to “pass a bill.”
Update at 6:17 p.m. ET. The Legal Authority:
In a briefing with reporters Thursday afternoon, a senior White House official explained the legal reasoning behind the two big actions.
First, the senior administration official said, the executive branch is given “prosecutorial discretion” by the constitution. That means the Department of Homeland Security can set enforcement priorities and can decide whom to deport.
Second, they say that providing relief to young undocumented immigrants and to the parents of U.S. citizen children is justified on humanitarian grounds.
The official said the action is predicated on a desire not to separate parents from kids who are lawful, and an understanding that’s a relationship Congress wants to respect.
The White House official pointed out that every president going back to President Dwight Eisenhower has used this kind of authority and President George H.W. Bush used his to give relief to 1.5 million children, about 40 percent of the undocumented population in the country at the time.
Rep. Raul Labrador, a Republican from Idaho, told All Things Considered, he believed this action is illegal.
“Instead of working together to fix our broken immigration system, the president says he’s acting on his own. That’s just not how our democracy works. The president has said before that ‘he’s not king’ and he’s ‘not an emperor,’ but he’s sure acting like one. And he’s doing it a time when the American people want nothing more than for us to work together.”
Update at 6:02 p.m. ET. Relief For Others:
Senior administration officials said the Department of Homeland Security will also put out new guidelines for enforcement.
Immigration officials will prioritize the deportation of criminals and new arrivals, which means that some of the immigrants who don’t qualify for relief and have been in the United States for a while may never be deported.
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