Immigration Law

NAPOLITANO LAYS OUT IMMIGRATION PLANS

By Greg Siskind

New Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had an interview with NPR's Madeleine Brand where she discusses her priorities for DHS. No big revelations, but it does tell a bit more about what to expect from the Administration.

Not unsurprisingly there's a lot of talk about enforcement. However, it sounds like the focus will be on going after human traffickers and also deporting criminals. She does mention interior enforcement and beefing up security on the border, however, so it would be wrong to expect any kind of let up in enforcement actions currently under way. On the controversial subject of worksite raids, Napolitano does not say that they'll stop - only that the worst employers and others benefiting from illegal immigration - will be the focus of DHS actions.

On the benefits side, Napolitano does say that the millions of immigrants working illegally in the country will be dealt with at an "appropriate" time and that it's up to Congress and the President to get that deal made. But she did mention that she would focus on streamlining the citizenship application process to make it function better.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on February 17, 2009 (boomark / email).