Rep. Barletta Taking Steps to Halt De Facto Amnesty, Calls for Investigations

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, PA-11, a national leader in the fight to stop illegal immigration, unveiled steps he is taking to halt the Obama Administration's unprecedented push to grant de facto amnesty to between 800,000 and 1.4 million illegal aliens.

During a press conference Monday, Rep. Barletta explained that he wants two House committees -- Judiciary and Homeland Security -- to investigate President Obama's and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano's improper use of "prosecutorial discretion" in the granting of indefinitely renewable two-year work permits to illegal aliens who meet certain criteria.

He also unveiled two new pieces of legislation, which he introduced Friday in Washington:

H.R. 6070, which will require a study to determine the effects this immigration policy shift would have on our national security, fraud, the American worker, American students, and our economy, including the impact on a wide range of government programs, including unemployment benefits, Social Security, Medicare, the new healthcare law, federal grants for college, work-study programs, and more. The secretary of Homeland Security would not be allowed to implement the June 15 policy memorandum until the study is completed and submitted to Congress.

H.R. 6069, which will protect DHS personnel who continue to uphold current immigration policy and refuse to follow the June 15 memo because it violates the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. DHS employees who enforce federal immigration law and ignore Secretary Napolitano's memorandum could not lose their job, federal benefits, be denied a promotion, or other similar benefit.

"The June 15 memo released by Secretary Napolitano and upheld by President Obama represents a dangerous unilateral shift in our national immigration policy. First, the Executive Branch does not have the authority to do what it claims it can, so I am calling on the House Judiciary and the House Homeland Security committees to investigate that authority. Next, I want to make sure that those who are responsible for protecting our borders and our national security are not punished if they choose to ignore the June 15 memo, which violates existing immigration law," Rep. Barletta said. "Finally, I want the government to study the impact this granting of de facto amnesty by the Obama Administration will have on a wide range of federal programs, including Social Security and Medicare.

"This study takes on new importance after the Supreme Court decision that upheld Obamacare," Rep. Barletta added. "What impact will the illegal aliens who might be allowed to stay in the United States have on the cost of a national healthcare law?"

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