YouTube: Napolitano At Senate Judiciary Committee

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that under the administration’s policy of exercising “prosecutorial discretion” in the enforcement of the immigration laws, her department is currently authorizing some illegal aliens to work in the United States.

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, asked Napolitano: “According to the information from your department, some individuals who are given relief will obtain work authorizations. So people with no right to be in the country will be allowed to work here. Is that correct?”

Napolitano said: “Well, senator, since around 1986 there has been a process where those who are technically unlawfully in the country may apply for work authorization. This goes to CIS [Citizenship and Immigration Services]. It's not an ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] or CBP [Customs and Border Protection] function. And those cases are reviewed by CIS in a case-by-case basis. So there’s no change in that process. Like I said, that goes back to the mid-80s that is contemplated now.”

YouTube Napolitano At Senate Judiciary Committee:

During Wednesday’s hearing, Napolitano mentioned that as a result of the “prosecutorial discretion” policy, the Obama administration will review “roughly 300,000” cases that are on the “master docket of what’s pending in immigration courts.”

“The goal” of that process is “to administratively close some of the low priority cases so that we can facilitate handling the higher priority cases,” said Napolitano. That indicates that some illegal immigrants will be allowed to stay in the country because their cases will be closed.

Napolitano did not specify what 1986 policy she was referring to in her response to Senator Grassley.   President Ronald Reagan signed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act into law in November of that year. The act applied to illegal aliens who requested a change of status within 18 months of the law's passage and who had come into the United States prior to Jan. 1, 1982, and had resided in America since that time.

Barack Obama and his administration have decided they are above our Constitution and the laws of America. I do believe October 2011 is more than 18 months past November 1986.

Comment here and email us at YourVoice@speaknowconservatives.org.

America do you need a place to vent about the direction our government is taking?  Do you want to find ways to help make a change? Go to MomsAndDadsBeHeard a forum for you to speak out. Be part of bringing our Great country back.

You might also like to read this article: Because of Bush Administration and Wall Street ‘People Died' and ‘Homes Burned’