White House’s determination to avoid work permit debate starting to look silly

Administration officials have been telling the media that federal judge Andrew Hanen’s injunction against President Obama’s November executive actions on immigration limits the administration’s ability to prioritize deportations. President Obama says that’s nonsense.

Media reports this week were full of language like this from the Wall Street Journal: “Bloomberg on February 25th:

President Barack Obama said would derail his plan to ease deportations of undocumented immigrants.

“{text} Here’s Secretary Johnson, less than a month ago:

“Nor does the Court’s order affect this Department’s ability to set and implement enforcement priorities.“

So scratch President Obama and Secretary Johnson off the administration’s witness list. Their statements seem downright hostile to the argument the White House wants the press to share with the public.

I’d be surprised if that’s the case that’s made in court. The injunction does not limit the administration’s ability to prioritize deportations (at least not according to the judge, the President, and the Secretary of Homeland Security). But it does limit “{text}” under Obama’s November executive actions. Benefits include work permits, social security benefits, and the promise Earned Income Tax Credits to name a few. The White House doesn’t want to debate the merits of issuing work permits and social security numbers to millions of people in the U.S. illegally – not in the court of public opinion, anyway. They’ve steered the media away from that question. But in the Court of Appeals they may be forced to explain why the President can unilaterally open up every new American job to 4-5 million citizens of other countries who are in the U.S. illegally.

JEREMY BECK is the Director of the Media Standard’s Project for NumbersUSA