WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ON TEXAS IMMIGRATION CASE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
February 17, 2015
Statement by the Press Secretary on State of Texas v. United States of America

The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that the federal government can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws—which is exactly what the President did when he announced commonsense policies to help fix our broken immigration system. Those policies are consistent with the laws passed by Congress and decisions of the Supreme Court, as well as five decades of precedent by presidents of both parties who have used their authority to set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws.

The Department of Justice, legal scholars, immigration experts, and the district court in Washington, D.C. have determined that the President’s actions are well within his legal authority. Top law enforcement officials, along with state and local leaders across the country, have emphasized that these policies will also benefit the economy and help keep communities safe. The district court’s decision wrongly prevents these lawful, commonsense policies from taking effect and the Department of Justice has indicated that it will appeal that decision.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON ECONOMICS OF FIXING IMMIGRATION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
November 21, 2014
FACT SHEET: The Economic Benefits of Fixing Our Broken Immigration System

The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive actions will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules.  Acting within his legal authority, the President is taking an important step to fix our broken immigration system.

These executive actions crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay their fair share of taxes as they register to temporarily stay in the US without fear of deportation.

These are commonsense steps, but only Congress can finish the job. As the President acts, he’ll continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill—like the one passed by the Senate more than a year ago—that can replace these actions and fix the whole system.

According to an analysis by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the President’s executive actions on immigration would boost economic output by an estimated 0.4 to 0.9 percent over ten years, corresponding to increases in GDP of $90 billion to $210 billion in 2024.          

The President’s actions will grow the economy by increasing the productivity of all American workers. These actions will increase the productivity of American workers, in part by allowing undocumented workers to come out of the shadows and find jobs that better match their skills and potential. This shift of workers across occupations will also allow more native workers to specialize in the tasks best suited to their abilities. These effects are likely to lead to wage increases for all workers—immigrants and natives alike. In addition, by encouraging high-skilled immigration, these actions will boost the rate of innovation and patenting in the American economy, further increasing the productivity of the American workforce.

The President’s actions will increase the size of the American workforce. CEA estimates that the economy will also grow thanks to an expansion of the American labor force by nearly150,000 people over 10 years as a result of the President’s executive actions.

Average wages for all workers, both U.S.-born and immigrant, will increase. Increases in productivity and innovation caused by the President’s actions will translate into higher wages for all types of workers. CEA estimates that by 2024 annual wages for native workers will rise 0.3 percent, or approximately $170 in today’s dollars. CEA also estimates that the President’s actions would neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of employment for native workers.
A bigger economy will reduce the deficit. As the economy grows so do tax revenues, requiring the government to borrow less to finance government operations. This reduced borrowing translates into reduced spending on interest payments by the government, thus reducing overall government spending—and shrinking the deficit. CEA’s estimate of the higher economic growth associated with executive action on immigration would translate into reductions in the Federal deficit by $25 billion in 2024.

At the same time, the President’s executive actions will expand the country’s tax base by millions of people and billions of dollars.  Individuals potentially eligible for deferred action under the President’s executive actions are in the country today – and have been for many years.  They provide for their families, just like all American citizens.  Many are already in the workforce and contributing Federal, State, and local taxes.  But roughly two-thirds of them don’t pay taxes today.  The President is changing that, ensuring that these individuals have the opportunity to apply for a work authorization and pay taxes.  By allowing those eligible for deferred action to work in this country, both workers and employers will be able to come out from the shadows and contribute payroll taxes, just like all American citizens.

To be sure, the economic benefits of these actions are not as strong as those under the bipartisan legislation that passed in the Senate.  If Congress passes that bill, we will be able to fully realize the economic benefits of commonsense immigration reform.  Independent studies have affirmed that commonsense immigration reform would significantly increase economic growth, shrink the deficit, and boost wages for native-born U.S. workers.

Commonsense immigration reform would strengthen the overall economy and grow U.S. GDP.  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that enacting the Senate immigration reform bill would increase real GDP relative to current law projections by 3.3 percent in 2023 and 5.4 percent in 2033 – an increase of roughly $700 billion and $1.4 trillion, respectively, in today’s dollars.  According to independent estimates, improvements to the agricultural visa program alone would almost immediately increase GDP by $2 billion.
Commonsense immigration reform would increase wages and productivity for American workers.  According to CBO and other independent studies, immigration reform would increase overall U.S. productivity, resulting in higher wages.  CBO estimates that real wages would be 0.5 percent higher in 2033 — the equivalent to an additional $250 of income for the median American household — as a result of enacting the Senate bill.  The Senate bill would raise the “wage floor” for all workers—particularly in industries where employers pay undocumented workers low wages under the table and thus drive down the wages of all workers.

Commonsense immigration reform would reduce the federal deficit and strengthen Social Security.  According to CBO, the additional taxes paid by new and legalizing immigrants under the Senate bill would reduce the federal budget deficit by nearly $850 billion over the next 20 years.  The independent Social Security Administration (SSA) Actuary estimates that the Senate bill would add nearly $300 billion to the Social Security Trust Fund over the next decade and would improve Social Security’s finances over the long run, extending Social Security solvency by two years.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS REGARDING BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION REFORM

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by the President on Border Security and Immigration Reform

Rose Garden

3:04 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  One year ago this month, senators of both parties –- with support from the business, labor, law enforcement, faith communities –- came together to pass a commonsense immigration bill. 

Independent experts said that bill would strengthen our borders, grow our economy, shrink our deficits.  As we speak, there are enough Republicans and Democrats in the House to pass an immigration bill today.  I would sign it into law today, and Washington would solve a problem in a bipartisan way.

But for more than a year, Republicans in the House of Representatives have refused to allow an up-or-down vote on that Senate bill or any legislation to fix our broken immigration system.  And I held off on pressuring them for a long time to give Speaker Boehner the space he needed to get his fellow Republicans on board. 

Meanwhile, here’s what a year of obstruction has meant.  It has meant fewer resources to strengthen our borders.  It’s meant more businesses free to game the system by hiring undocumented workers, which punishes businesses that play by the rules, and drives down wages for hardworking Americans.  It’s meant lost talent when the best and brightest from around the world come to study here but are forced to leave and then compete against our businesses and our workers.  It’s meant no chance for 11 million immigrants to come out of the shadows and earn their citizenship if they pay a penalty and pass a background check, pay their fair share of taxes, learn English, and go to the back of the line.  It’s meant the heartbreak of separated families. 

That’s what this obstruction has meant over the past year.  That’s what the Senate bill would fix if the House allowed it to go to a vote.

Our country and our economy would be stronger today if House Republicans had allowed a simple yes-or-no vote on this bill or, for that matter, any bill.  They’d be following the will of the majority of the American people who support reform.  Instead, they’ve proven again and again that they’re unwilling to stand up to the tea party in order to do what’s best for the country.  And the worst part about it is a bunch of them know better.

We now have an actual humanitarian crisis on the border that only underscores the need to drop the politics and fix our immigration system once and for all.  In recent weeks, we’ve seen a surge of unaccompanied children arrive at the border, brought here and to other countries by smugglers and traffickers. 

The journey is unbelievably dangerous for these kids.  The children who are fortunate enough to survive it will be taken care of while they go through the legal process, but in most cases that process will lead to them being sent back home.  I’ve sent a clear message to parents in these countries not to put their kids through this.  I recently sent Vice President Biden to meet with Central American leaders and find ways to address the root causes of this crisis.  Secretary Kerry will also be meeting with those leaders again tomorrow.  With our international partners, we’re taking new steps to go after the dangerous smugglers who are putting thousands of children’s lives at risk.

Today, I sent a letter to congressional leaders asking that they work with me to address the urgent humanitarian challenge on the border, and support the immigration and Border Patrol agents who already apprehend and deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants every year.  And understand, by the way, for the most part, this is not a situation where these children are slipping through.  They’re being apprehended.  But the problem is, is that our system is so broken, so unclear that folks don’t know what the rules are.

Now, understand –- there are a number of Republicans who have been willing to work with us to pass real, commonsense immigration reform, and I want to thank them for their efforts.  There are a number of Republican leaders in the Senate who did excellent work and deserve our thanks.  And less visibly, there have been folks in the House who have been trying to work to get this done.  And quietly, because it doesn’t always help me to praise them, I’ve expressed to them how much I appreciate the efforts that they’ve made.

I believe Speaker Boehner when he says he wants to pass an immigration bill.  I think he genuinely wants to get something done.  But last week, he informed me that Republicans will continue to block a vote on immigration reform at least for the remainder of this year.  Some in the House Republican Caucus are using the situation with unaccompanied children as their newest excuse to do nothing.  Now, I want everybody to think about that.  Their argument seems to be that because the system is broken, we shouldn’t make an effort to fix it.  It makes no sense.  It’s not on the level.  It’s just politics, plain and simple. 

Now, there are others in the Republican Caucus in the House who are arguing that they can’t act because they’re mad at me about using my executive authority too broadly.  This also makes no sense.  I don’t prefer taking administrative action.  I’d rather see permanent fixes to the issue we face.  Certainly that’s true on immigration.  I’ve made that clear multiple times.  I would love nothing more than bipartisan legislation to pass the House, the Senate, land on my desk so I can sign it.  That’s true about immigration, that’s true about the minimum wage, it’s true about equal pay.  There are a whole bunch of things where I would greatly prefer Congress actually do something.  I take executive action only when we have a serious problem, a serious issue, and Congress chooses to do nothing.  And in this situation, the failure of House Republicans to pass a darn bill is bad for our security, it’s bad for our economy, and it’s bad for our future. 

So while I will continue to push House Republicans to drop the excuses and act –- and I hope their constituents will too -– America cannot wait forever for them to act.  And that’s why, today, I’m beginning a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress.  As a first step, I’m directing the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to move available and appropriate resources from our interior to the border.  Protecting public safety and deporting dangerous criminals has been and will remain the top priority, but we are going to refocus our efforts where we can to make sure we do what it takes to keep our border secure. 

I have also directed Secretary Johnson and Attorney General Holder to identify additional actions my administration can take on our own, within my existing legal authorities, to do what Congress refuses to do and fix as much of our immigration system as we can.  If Congress will not do their job, at least we can do ours.  I expect their recommendations before the end of summer and I intend to adopt those recommendations without further delay. 

Of course, even with aggressive steps on my part, administrative action alone will not adequately address the problem.  The reforms that will do the most to strengthen our businesses, our workers, and our entire economy will still require an act of Congress.  And I repeat:  These are reforms that already enjoy the wide support of the American people.  It’s very rare where you get labor, business, evangelicals, law enforcement all agreeing on what needs to be done.  And at some point, that should be enough.  Normally, that is enough.  The point of public service is to solve public problems.  And those of us who have the privilege to serve have a responsibility to do everything in our power to keep Americans safe and to keep the doors of opportunity open. 

And if we do, then one year from now, not only would our economy and our security be stronger, but maybe the best and the brightest from around the world who come study here would stay and create jobs here.  Maybe companies that play by the rules will no longer be undercut by companies that don’t.  Maybe more families who’ve been living here for years, whose children are often U.S. citizens, who are our neighbors and our friends, whose children are our kids’ friends and go to school with them, and play on ball teams with them, maybe those families would get to stay together.  But much of this only happens if Americans continue to push Congress to get this done.

So I’ve told Speaker Boehner that even as I take those steps that I can within my existing legal authorities to make the immigration system work better, I’m going to continue to reach out to House Republicans in the hope that they deliver a more permanent solution with a comprehensive bill.  Maybe it will be after the midterms, when they’re less worried about politics.  Maybe it will be next year.  Whenever it is, they will find me a willing partner.  I have been consistent in saying that I am prepared to work with them even on a bill that I don't consider perfect.  And the Senate bill was a good example of the capacity to compromise and get this done.  The only thing I can’t do is stand by and do nothing while waiting for them to get their act together. 

And I want to repeat what I said earlier.  If House Republicans are really concerned about me taking too many executive actions, the best solution to that is passing bills.  Pass a bill; solve a problem.  Don't just say no on something that everybody agrees needs to be done.  Because if we pass a bill, that will supplant whatever I’ve done administratively.  We’ll have a structure there that works, and it will be permanent.  And people can make plans and businesses can make plans based on the law.  And there will be clarity both here inside this country and outside it.

Let me just close by saying Friday is the Fourth of July.  It’s the day we celebrate our independence and all the things that make this country so great.  And each year, Michelle and I host a few hundred servicemembers and wounded warriors and their families right here on the lawn for a barbecue and fireworks on the Mall.

And some of the servicemembers coming this year are unique because they signed up to serve, to sacrifice, potentially to give their lives for the security of this country even though they weren’t yet Americans.  That's how much they love this country.  They were prepared to fight and die for an America they did not yet fully belong to.  I think they’ve earned their stripes in more ways than one.  And that’s why on Friday morning we’re going to naturalize them in a ceremony right here at the White House.  This Independence Day will be their first day as American citizens. 

One of the things we celebrate on Friday –- one of the things that make this country great –- is that we are a nation of immigrants.  Our people come from every corner of the globe.  That's what makes us special.  That's what makes us unique.  And throughout our history, we’ve come here in wave after wave from everywhere understanding that there was something about this place where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts; that all the different cultures and ideas and energy would come together and create something new.

We won this country’s freedom together.  We built this country together.  We defended this country together.  It makes us special.  It makes us strong.  It makes us Americans.  That’s worth celebrating.  And that's what I want not just House Republicans but all of us as Americans to remember.

Thanks very much.

END                                              
3:21 P.M. EDT

U.S.-CANADA VISA AND IMMIGRATION INFORMAITON-SHARING AGREEMENT

 

Peggys Point Lighthouse in Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia is a very popular tourist
site operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The lighthouse, the second one on
this site, was built in 1914 and is 15 m (50 ft) tall.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 14, 2012　

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson and the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney signed a U.S.-Canada Visa and Immigration Information-Sharing Agreement on December 13, 2012.

This agreement will enable Canada and the United States to share information from third country nationals who apply for a visa or permit to travel to either country. This will better protect the safety and security of Americans and Canadians and facilitate legitimate travel and business. Increased information sharing will support better decision-making by both countries to confirm applicants’ identities, and identify risks and inadmissible persons at the earliest opportunity. It will increase safety and security, as both countries work to identify terrorists, violent criminals, and others who pose a risk before they reach our borders. All officers working on immigration and refugee protection will be equipped with more information to make decisions. This will better protect the safety and security of Americans and Canadians alike and further facilitate legitimate travel.

The agreement authorizes development of arrangements under which the United States may send an automated request for data to Canada, such as when a third country national applies to the United States for a visa or claims asylum. Such a request would contain limited information, such as name and date of birth in the case of biographic sharing, or an anonymous fingerprint in the case of biometric sharing. If the identity matches that of a previous application, immigration information may be shared, such as whether the person has previously been refused a visa or removed from the other country. The same process would apply in reverse when a third country national applies to Canada for a visa or claims asylum. Biographic immigration information sharing is set to begin in 2013, and biometric sharing in 2014.

Under the agreement, information will not be shared regarding U.S. or Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Any information shared on travellers and asylum seekers will be handled responsibly and, as with other information sharing agreements, exchanged in accordance with relevant U.S. and Canadian laws.