Voters worry about checks and balances after Obama immigration action

Majorities of American voters think President Barack Obama exceeded his authority with recent executive actions on immigration -- and are worried he may be permanently altering the system of checks and balances established by the Constitution. That’s according to a new Fox News poll released Wednesday. By an 8-point margin, more voters disapprove (51 percent) than approve (43 percent) of the specific policy changes Obama made that will, among other things, allow millions of illegal immigrants to remain temporarily in the United States to work. Meanwhile, nearly three quarters think this easing of immigration laws will encourage more people to enter the country illegally (74 percent).  That includes 50 percent who believe Obama’s actions are “very likely” to result in more people illegally entering the U.S. Even more voters are unhappy with how Obama made these changes.  By a 60-38 percent margin, voters disapprove of the president bypassing Congress to change how the government deals with illegal immigration. In addition, a 54-percent majority thinks Obama “exceeded his authority” under the Constitution by making the immigration changes unilaterally.  Thirty-eight percent say he “acted within his authority.” The poll goes on to ask what such actions mean for the country in the long term and finds more than two-thirds -- 68 percent of voters -- are concerned Obama’s use of executive orders and unilateral actions may be “permanently altering” our country’s system of checks and balances. That includes 42 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of independents and 93 percent of Republicans. Hispanic voters -- who are almost twice as likely as white voters to approve of the recent changes Obama made on immigration (66 percent vs. 34 percent) -- like how the president went about making the changes as well.  Fifty-six percent of Hispanics approve of Obama bypassing Congress compared to 29 percent of whites.  Even so, views among Hispanics are about evenly divided over Obama’s authority under the Constitution: 48 percent say he acted within his authority, while 44 percent say he exceeded it.  By two-to-one white voters say Obama exceeded his authority under the Constitution (62 percent-31 percent). In general, a 63-percent majority wants the government to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. and eventually qualify for citizenship after meeting certain requirements.  Some 16 percent favor a guest-worker program, while 17 percent say deport all illegal immigrants.  Despite the president’s recent actions and the reactions they have sparked, these sentiments are mostly unchanged since 2011. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/10/fox-news-poll-obama-immigration-overreach-worry-about-checks-and-balances/

Immigrants Pay Taxes?

In the public debates over federal immigration reform, much has been made of the argument that undocumented immigrants would be a drain on federal, state and local government resources if granted legal status under reform. But it is also true that the 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States are already taxpayers, and that their local, state and federal tax contributions would increase under reform. This report provides state-by-state estimates on the state and local tax contributions of the 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.The key findings are:Undocumented immigrants currently contribute significantly to state and local taxes, collectively paying an estimated $10.6 billion in 2010 with contributions ranging from less than $2 million in Montana to more than $2.2 billion in California. This means these families are likely paying about 6.4 percent on average of their income in state and local taxes. Allowing undocumented immigrants to work in the United States legally would increase their state and local tax contributions by an estimated $2 billion a year. Their effective state and local tax rate would also increase to 7 percent on average, which would put their tax contributions more in line with documented taxpayers with similar incomes.

http://www.itep.org/immigration/?gclid=CJzxruyhvcICFYWFfgodKBMA0Q

House leaders unveil budget bill, race to avert partial shutdown

House leaders unveiled a $1.1 trillion spending bill Tuesday night that would avert a partial government shutdown while delaying a fight over President Obama's immigration actions until early 2015. The GOP-led House Appropriations Committee released the plan, which would keep most of the government funded through September 2015, following days of backroom negotiations. The government technically runs out of money at midnight Thursday. The narrow window raises the likelihood that lawmakers will have to pass a stopgap spending bill to buy time. The main spending bill next will go to the chamber’s rules committee to be prepared for debate and a likely full House vote by Thursday. The bill finances the day-to-day operations of every Cabinet department except Homeland Security through Sept. 30, 2015, with $521 billion for defense and $492 billion tied to non-defense. Another $64 billion is provided for overseas military operations. However, the plan would only fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 27, 2015. That is a move by House GOP leaders to tee up a debate in early 2015 over the president's recent executive action that could suspend deportation for as many as 5 million illegal immigrants. Some conservatives nevertheless want to wage that battle now, and use the current spending bill as leverage. Though the House voted last week against Obama's immigration plan, these lawmakers want to do more.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/10/house-releases-proposed-spending-bill/

My Story as an Immigrant

Coming from an immigrant family, I know first hand how it works and all the sacrifices it needs to be done. My parents had to leave our brand new house, my dads job in the government and all what they had accomplished there, so my bothers and I could have something better and a safe life. We left when the Mexican drug war started; my dad had some encounters with couple hit-mans that were looking for trouble. As well as threats of kidnaping me. That was more than enough for him to want to leave everything behind and start something new. I came to the U.S at age of 10 years old and had to learn the language within one year so I could go to an all-English school. It was something really hard to do because it was such short amount of time. Not only that, but it was hard to get used to this country in every way imaginable. My family had to get used to a new life without knowing the language, the culture, the way of life here in general. I know how hard it is to have a life here specially when you start with nothing and you once had everything in your homeland. That’s why I’m proud of being the first of my family to go to college and as well as my family is proud of me, for accomplishing everything I have accomplished till this day. Although the rough circumstances I've faced, I'm still here fitting through to reach that "American Dream".

Immigration Reform Promises

President Obama will “make good” on his promise to implement executive actions to address problems with the immigration system by the end of the year, press secretary Josh Earnest said Sunday. The president had initially pledged to take unilateral action on immigration by the end of the summer, but the White House announced earlier this month that he would hold off until after the midterm elections.White House officials have said Obama was concerned that moving before the midterm elections would make reform a partisan issue and polarize support against it, although the move was widely seen as a concession to Senate Democrats who were locked in tough reelection battles and begged Obama to hold off.The delay has bred new concerns among immigration activists that the president will not ever take the executive action. President Obama had promised he was going to do something good for all the immigrants here, for them to be legal here. Not only would be something really good for the immigrants but for the government as well. Having legal people could open an opportunity for both parties. In more wealth for the country and a better way of life for the immigrants. Both sides win if President Obama was to do what he had promised.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/10/03/obama-immigration-congressional-hispanic-caucus-institute/16634861/

Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. will have an opportunity to join the military

A small number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. will have an opportunity to join the military for the first time in decades under a new Department of Defense policy unveiled Thursday. The new rules will expand an existing program allowing recruiters to target foreign nationals with high-demand skills, mostly rare foreign language expertise or specialized health care training.For the first time, the program — known as Military Accessions in the National Interest, or MAVNI — will be open to immigrants without a proper visa if they came to the U.S. with their parents before age 16. More specifically, they must be approved under a 2012 Obama administration policy known as Deferred Action for Child Arrivals, or DACA. This is something good for those people who came here as kids and they learned to love this country as if it was theirs, to give their life for it. Some of them this country is all they got and all they have, it's only fair for them to fight and be given an opportunity for what they want and believe in. Although they're immigrants they're willing to die for a land who might not be their homeland but grew up like if such.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/25/policy-to-allow-undocumented-immigrants-in-military/16225135/

Our Diversity of Foods in California

Immigration in the US, is the best thing that could happen to this country, specially to the state of California. Not only we are rich in different cultures. But, can get to experience a variety of food from different countries everyday; when ever we want to. One day we can feel like eating Mexican food and the next feel like eating Japanese food. I can't imagine myself eating only one type of food for the rest of my life anymore. I love to experience and eat food from different cultures that our "Land of Opportunity" has to offer us. Thanks to all of those people who decided to come here. All with different reasons, thanks to all our ancestors we also have a rich immigration history that can amaze us.