Free Republic

STYMIED BY congressional paralysis, President Obama is reportedly considering unilateral action to address — though surely not fix — the nation’s immigration policy mess and the more recent surge of minors streaming across the southwestern border. The president’s frustration is understandable. Faced with a genuine humanitarian crisis, Congress’s failure to pass a workable fix is unconscionable. In the Republican-controlled House, the GOP bowed to its most extreme lawmakers in passing measures that have zero chance of becoming law — and would have paved the way for deportations of blameless young people raised in this country after being brought here by...

Characteristically excellent work by John Sexton in tracing the timeline on when, and why, kids from Central America started streaming north. Democrats are in a weird position on this point. On the one hand, they insist endlessly to American audiences that Obama’s 2012 amnesty for DREAMers (a.k.a. DACA) had nothing to do with drawing illegals here. That’s crackpot nonsense, the sort of stuff you’ll find (gasp) Ted Cruz pushing. On the other hand, the White House is quietly putting the word out in Central America that whatever they’ve heard about the U.S. handing out “permisos” to young illegals lately...

Giancarlo Tello, a 24-year-old political activist, is bright and articulate with a history of advanced classes and A’s. But until very recently, college was out of reach for Tello. He came here from Peru when he was 6, and didn’t know until his sophomore year of high school that he was in the country illegally, when he found out he couldn’t get his driver’s permit. Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill in December that was a half-fix for students like Tello, who has a waiver allowing him to remain in the country temporarily. It permitted unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state...

Immigrants have helped pay the nation’s bills, at least when it comes to health care, according to a new report. Immigrants contributed over $182 billion to Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund between 1996 and 2011, according to a study released by the Partnership for a New American Economy, a group which advocates for immigration reform. The study found during that same 15-year period, U.S.-born citizens produced a $68.7 billion deficit for the same fund. The Partnership for a New American Economy, a coalition of mayors and business leaders started by Michael Bloomberg and Rupert Murdoch.

FULL TITLE: "Obama Is Preparing To Make One Of The Boldest Moves Of His Presidency — And It Could Stretch The Scope Of Executive Power" By the end of the summer, President Barack Obama will make what some activists and legal experts say could be the "boldest move" of his presidency as he prepares to move without Congress on immigration reform. The coming executive actions to change immigration policy could become the defining moment in a second term marred by congressional gridlock. A mid fierce debate over the crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border they also could set up a potential...

GOOGLE TRANSLATE: Over 300 children were admitted to the United States daily. In recent weeks, have been reduced to 80, authorities say. So far this year have returned to Honduras 6,500 children age who emigrated in search of the American dream, but that they were detained by the immigration authorities of Mexico and the United States. This is thanks to the campaigns that have been done to warn parents that there will be penalties for those who endanger their children, "Salas said. global Pro Kids program was also mentioned, implemented with the Spanish Cooperation and Forensic Medicine, with which it...

It is highly amusing, after six years of racist attacks on our first black president, to listen to Rep. Mo “war on whites” Brooks (R-AL), as Jason Easley wrote here yesterday, blame “Democrats for Republican racism by claiming that Democrats are using racism to divide the country and drive up minority voting turnout.” The “logic” here being that if we support the rights of minorities to be treated like people, we are anti-white, which differs not at all from the idea that if we support the equal rights of other religions we are anti-Christian. While all minorities are being attacked...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been traveling to New York in the past month to quietly meet with high-flying business leaders to ramp up interest in a potential presidential bid, sources tell Page Six. “He’s been meeting with groups of up to 15 people at private homes to tell them about some of his moderate points of view,” a source said.

A Masters of the Universe drawing hangs in a frame above the desk in the Capitol Hill office of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions. It stands out among dozens of pictures of his three children and seven grandchildren. The protagonist of the comic-book series, He-Man, is depicted mounted atop his heroic lion, Battle Cat. His muscles are bulging; his sword is thrust into the air. Battle Cat’s mouth is open, his fangs exposed. They are a formidable pair. A small gold plaque sits below the drawing in the same frame. Etched on it are a portion of the remarks Sessions delivered...

For those puzzled by the recent thrusts and feints on our border crisis, here is a helpful primer: Related Stories Democrats blame the “urgent humanitarian crisis” at our border on an obscure 2008 sex trafficking bill. But, they refuse to change the bill. President Obama’s DACA order in 2012, protecting young people here illegally against deportation, summoned tens of thousands of migrant children from Central America. To solve the problem, the White House wants to open the door even wider by offering asylum to people from that region. House Republicans passed a bill giving President Obama funds to manage the...

Via RCP, I want to believe it, I almost believe it — but I don’t really believe it. All the makings of a Democratic clusterfark are there. If O legalizes five million workers, plenty of blue-collar Democrats are bound to put two and two together and wonder what that means for their wages. And plenty of Democratic Senate incumbents in red states, like, oh, let’s say Mark Pryor, are going to panic, knowing what could happen if the backlash among conservatives is as ferocious as everyone expects. In fact, as Newt alludes to, both Pryor and North Carolina’s Kay Hagan...

SNIP authorities arrested Gustavo Tijernia, 30 ...and Ismael Hernandez, 40, ...Mexican nationals from Matamoros SNIP Cameron County court records show Tijerina, who also has the last name of Sandoval, was charged with reckless driving by the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 27, 2006 in the Cameron County Court at Law No. 3. He failed to appear in court and an arrest warrant was issued. That charge was dismissed on Feb. 6, 2013, at the request of the state. ...a Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval, born in 1983, was arrested at least four times for illegally entering the U.S. SNIP Border Patrol...

As many others have noted, the high point here is Rand Paul bailing out mid-bite as soon as he hears the word “DREAM.” He’ll get in your face on foreign policy and he’ll push bold, controversial ideas like restoring voting rights to felons, but put him on camera in the middle of a squabble between Steve “Cantaloupe Calves” King and a pair of illegals when he’s gearing up for 2016 and all that’s left is one of those little dust clouds like in a Roadrunner cartoon. If not for that, my favorite moment would be Erika Andiola reassuring King that...

Full Title- "Why Didn't Obama Push Through Amnesty When He Controlled Congress? Because He Wants Republicans to be Blamed for It" RUSH: So yesterday on this program I made a salient point. I pointed out that while Obama is out blaming the Republicans for doing nothing, and that's why he's gonna have to do blanket amnesty for, what, five million, six million illegal immigrants, he's running around all these campaign-style appearances (imitating Obama), "Hey, you know what? I'm willing to do the work. If the Republicans won't help me, if somebody won't do it, then I'm gonna do it myself."...

The Republican Party’s “nativist elements” have successfully undermined Congress’ many attempts to pass comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama griped in an interview published over the weekend by the Economist. Obama’s remarks were made during a broader discussion that covered the health of the U.S. economy, job growth and the responsibilities of business leaders. “There’s a huge gap between the professed values and visions of corporate CEOs and how their lobbyists operate in Washington,” he said, claiming that businesses must be genuine when it comes to being socially engaged and giving back to the community. “And I’ve said this to various...

Rick Perry has taken another step to being a national player and perhaps inching his way into a national presidential campaign. One of the ways is to make friends. On July 31, he filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to create a political committee called RickPAC. He intends to use the committee to donate contributions to like-minded Republicans. “It was set up to help fund candidates who agree with the governor’s priorities,” said spokesman Mark Miner.

Editors Note: The MSM continues to react to the turning point in the immigration debate that occurred last week in DC. We reprint here.Don’t be confused about what happened in the House of Representatives on Friday: It was a huge win for the far right, a major victory for Ted Cruz, an embarrassment for John Boehner, and, potentially, a pivotal moment that will make future dealings between the White House and congressional Republicans, if you can possibly believe it, far worse than they’ve been already. What happened, as you probably know, is that Boehner had a bill ready to go...

Michael Steele thinks House Speaker John Boehner needs to keep closer tabs on Sen. Ted Cruz. The former Republican National Committee chairman on Monday poked fun at reports that some House Republicans changed their minds on crucial border legislation last week after meeting with Cruz, the Texas Republican and tea party icon. “For John Boehner, whenever any of his members says, ‘Hey, I’m about to have pizza and beer with Ted Cruz,’ he should be concerned,” Steele joked. “Really look at the calendar and see if there’s a vote coming up,” he said, adding that Cruz “undermined” GOP leaders. Steele...

After twenty-eight days away from this desk I returned this past Sunday with pleasant memories and not too many tasks sitting in front of me. Arthritis is beginning to take its toll on me, in the feet, hands, knees, elbows, etc. and I face a schedule for the coming year that in most ways is even more challenging than this last year which I found very challenging. Everyone, uniformly and universally, counsels me to slow down, take it easy, and then presents me with some event where my presence is absolutely necessary so for me, like for many others of...

Unlike many of his fellow Republican lawmakers, U.S. Senator John Cornyn sounded a conciliatory note when talking about the border crisis in San Antonio on Friday afternoon. He complimented the federal government on its response along the border and treatment of the children who have immigrated from Central America, said that he would be open to compromise on his controversial — but bipartisan — proposal that would require the children have a hearing before an immigration judge within seven days of entering the country; and added that he would not touch President Barack Obama’s current policy that allows children of...