(Reuters) – More than half of U.S. citizens believe that most or all of the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants should be deported, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday that highlights the difficulties facing lawmakers trying to reform the U.S. immigration system.

Thirty percent of those polled think that most illegal immigrants, with some exceptions, should be deported, while 23 percent believe all illegal immigrants should be deported.

Only 5 percent believe all illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the United States legally, and 31 percent want most illegal immigrants to stay. (read more)

WASHINGTON DC – President Obama’s advisers tried to put the genie back in the bottle after a leaked White House immigration plan drew outrage from Republicans who accused the president of endangering the reform push.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a key figure in immigration reform talks, was among those who slammed the president for the plan. After what was described as a draft White House proposal was first leaked in USA Today, Rubio said over the weekend it would be “dead on arrival in Congress.”

By Monday, Obama insiders were walking the plan back and suggesting the leak was not intentional. (more…)

WASHINGTON — A draft of a White House immigration proposal obtained by USA TODAY would allow illegal immigrants to become legal permanent residents within eight years.

The plan also would provide for more security funding and require business owners to check the immigration status of new hires within four years. In addition, the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants could apply for a newly created “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” visa, under the bill being written by the White House.

The draft was obtained from an Obama administration official who said it was being distributed to various agencies. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to release the proposal publicly.  (read more)

WASHINGTON DC – Jose Antonio Vargas, an illegal immigrant and former reporter, scolded a congressional panel on Wednesday, saying that he should not be called illegal, and saying it is an insult to his family who brought him here.

“When you inaccurately call me illegal, you not only dehumanize me, you’re offending them,” he said. “No human being is illegal.”

Mr. Vargas testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee alongside Chris Crane — a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and president of the ICE agents’ union — who is unable to arrest him under the administration’s new non-deportation policies.

Mr. Vargas, who “came out” as an illegal immigrant several years ago, delivered an emotional plea for the country to legalize him. (more)

Breaking: Senate confirms Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as secretary of state. http://t.co/FlFT59lx

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 29, 2013

It was crystal clear when Republican Senator Marco Rubio announced his intent at constructing a bi-partisan immigration bill last November that President Barack Obama would not allow Rubio to steal one of the divisive political arrows from his quiver.

Nothing upsets the current administration more than having an alinsky-type talking attack point removed from their arsenal before they have the opportunity to use it.  [One only needs to look at the “Alligator Moat” Speech in 2011]  Such is clearly the case with the current immigration proposals.

Yesterday the bi-Partisan initiatives Senator Rubio had previously discussed were outlined.  The general process includes a pathway to “legal status” and eventually to a “green card”.   The foundation of his proposal is contingent upon enforcement and border security first, then a pathway to legal immigrant status.

Just like May 2011 – President Obama is HAVING-NONE-OF-IT !

Puerto Rico voted yesterday to become the 51st state – Barack Obama said he would honor their vote.

Almost 80% of the island’s electorate took part in the referendum, the fourth in the past 45 years.

With almost all the votes counted, almost 54% voted to change the island’s relationship with the US.   And in reply to a second question on what future they favored, nearly two-thirds wanted full statehood… (more…)

After crawling up, down, and inside out of everything associated with Sheriff Joe for more than three years, the feds did not find squat…. it was a pure political witch hunt.  In a typical Obama/Holder DOJ manuever the Feds announce the non-finding and dropping of their investigation at 5pm on Friday night of a holiday weekend.   Jerks.

PHOENIX — Federal authorities said Friday that they’re closing their abuse-of-power investigation into Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona without filing charges against him.

Authorities were investigating America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff for his part in failed public corruption cases against officials who were odds with him. Arpaio brought cases against a judge and two county officials in 2009.

Federal authorities also decided to not prosecute matters tied to alleged misuse of county credit cards by sheriff’s officials, alleged misspending of jail-enhancement funds and other matters. (more…)

(Examiner.com)  This week, California officials announced that they will begin issuing driver’s licenses to those illegal aliens receiving legal status under President Obama’s ‘deferred action.’

Since 1993, it has been illegal for anyone other than “a citizen or legal resident of the United States under federal law,” to obtain a California driver’s license. That measure was signed into law by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

However, as a result of Obama’s executive order amnesty, hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of illegal aliens will suddenly become ‘legal’ residents. Therefore, Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown felt the need to grant them licenses.

The move basically discards the nearly two decades-old statute. (more…)

Oathkeepers ?

WASHINGTON – Saying they’re fed up with being told they can’t do their jobs, 10 immigration agents on Thursday sued the Obama administration to try to halt the president’s new non-deportation policy and an earlier memo instructing them not to go after rank-and-file illegal immigrants.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Texas, adds a legal controversy to the political fight that has been brewing over President Obama’s immigration policies, which have steadily narrowed the range of immigrants the government is targeting for deportation.

The 10 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and deportation officers said Mr. Obama’s policies force them to choose between enforcing the law and being reprimanded by superiors, or listening to superiors and violating their own oaths of office and a 1996 law that requires them to demand proof of legal status from those they suspect are not in the country legally. (more…)