O’Malley says he would take executive action to limit deportations.WaPo
Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley says that if elected he would take expansive executive actions to limit deportations and make other changes to what he calls the nation’s “inhumane” immigration system.
The plans of the former Maryland governor, which include forging a consensus with Congress on longer-term reforms, are outlined in a eight-page white paper that he formally unveiled Tuesday morning in Manhattan, where he held a roundtable discussion with a group of immigrants and immigration advocates.
“We need to reform a system that is callous, irrational, inhumane, and unjust by providing immediate relief to millions of New Americans and fighting for immigration reform to bring our neighbors out of the shadows,” O’Malley said at the event. . .
O’Malley’s ideas on immigration were offered at a time when the topic has become a flashpoint in the presidential race, thanks largely to disparaging comments about Mexico from Republican businessman Donald Trump, whose candidacy was cited several times Tuesday by O’Malley and other speakers.
Steve Choi, executive director of the New York State Immigrant Action Fund, which hosted Tuesday’s event, said strong leadership on immigration issues is crucial as “the Donald Trumps of the world have come out of the woodwork.”
In his white paper, O’Malley expresses support for states and localities that have limited their cooperation with the federal government in detaining undocumented immigrants for deportation. Controversy over so-called “sanctuary cities” has come to the fore in the wake of a recent murder of a San Francisco woman by a man who had been deported multiple times. . .
While O’Malley says he would move forward aggressively without Congress, he is pledging to work with the legislative branch on comprehensive immigration reform, which he argues will “help all families – by lifting wages, creating new jobs, growing our economy, expanding our tax base, and improving standards for all workers.”
O’Malley asserts that he is well-positioned to lead the effort, citing legislation he supported in Maryland to allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state college tuition rates and have access to driver’s licenses.
“I intend to make this a national issue,” he during the roundtable, speaking of a promised emphasis during his campaign on immigration reform. “It’s holding us back from building an economy that works for everyone.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/omalley-says-he-would-take-executive-action-to-limit-deportations/2015/07/14/3b1b9d20-2a1c-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html
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