Illegals Eligible for American Entitlements

According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, 2.2 million illegal immigrants will be cleared to stay under the law by 2017. Under the terms of President Obama’s amnesty declaration, those immigrants who receive work authorizations will then be eligible for American entitlements like Medicare, Social Security, and the earned income tax credit.

“Because they are lawfully present during the period of their deferred status, they are eligible to receive Medicare and Social Security benefits if they meet the programs’ requirements,” said the CBO report. “In addition, those individuals who are approved for deferred action and receive work authorization have Social Security numbers and therefore can claim the earned income tax credit if they qualify. They are ineligible for other federal benefit programs.”

The report comes as Texas and dozens of other states begin making their arguments against Obama’s executive action in federal court. According to the lawsuit, Obama exceeded his presidential authority by deferring deportations. The states are claiming that they will be burdened financially by the order, and they are asking U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to issue an injunction against the president’s memorandum.

“This lawsuit is not about immigration,” said Texas Governor-in-waiting Greg Abbot. “It is about the rule of law, presidential power, and the structural limits of the U.S. Constitution.” Abbot’s words echo those of House Speaker John Boehner, who said Tuesday that the fight over Department of Homeland Security spending amendments were not about immigration. “What it is,” said Boehner, “It’s about the president acting lawlessly.”

If Mexican immigrants have enemies in the GOP, however, they seem to have a friend in the government of their origin. On Thursday, the Mexican government announced that their citizens could go to U.S. consulates to get their birth certificates. Previously, any immigrant who wanted their birth certificate would have had to go back to Mexico for the documentation. The change will make it easier for illegals to get work permits, driver’s licenses, and deferred deportation.

A Post-Law America

Though it’s being challenged in the courts and in Congress, what we have now is a situation where a president has unilaterally given a preemptive pardon to millions of criminals. Politicians – even those steadfastly opposed to Obama’s actions – are afraid to come out and say it, but that’s what has happened. And it doesn’t matter if you are in favor of unrestrained immigration or not; the president of the United States is not in charge of deciding which American laws are valid. That’s the job of the courts. It’s not within his authority to change the law. That can only be done through the legislative process.

What we have is a scenario where one man has decided – against the will of the American people – to transform the country. And the point has been belabored for months, but it bears repeating. The further in the rearview mirror this stunning executive overreach goes, the easier it will be for people to forget what a travesty it was. And that paves the way for this president and his successors to take extraordinary liberties with their power. If we can’t afford the taxpayer burden put on us by millions of illegal immigrants, we certainly can’t afford to let our democratic republic become a dictatorship.