No Progress Without Congress

President Obama is dominating immigration headlines with his executive action, which is intended to relieve nearly half of the undocumented immigrant population.  With nearly 6 million individuals left out of Mr. Obama's plan, it is clear that the president's executive powers fall short without the help of congress;the legislative body of the government.  The order is predicted to boost the economy by 6.8 billion dollars and create 160,000 jobs.  Critics of the order do not think it goes far enough to change the H1B visas from its 65,000 visas a year for foreign high tech-skilled workers.  Others like the Center for Immigration Studies thinks that adding 5 million immigrants to the work force think that it is unfair for citizens who have not found jobs since the Great Recession.  Small businesses are all for an immigration overhaul because they will benefit from the low-skilled foreigners.  Over all there will be more obvious change with a reform of the entire immigration system.  Passed like Senate Bill 774 failed to pass through the House of Representatives, so the struggle continues for a large scale immigration reform.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/obama-immigration-plan-good-not-great-for-economy/2014/11/22/5a4bbb96-7250-11e4-a2c2-478179fd0489_story.html

republican reaction to exec order

Executive order is under way and Republicans are not to far from December  when a another government shutdown may occur due to spending on the president's order.  Republicans, though have not stepped down, but rather stepped up to Obama's threat because they are not willing to be blamed for another shutdown.  They have declared that Congress will use all of the power it holds to defer any funding to the president's order.  In this manner, They will attempt to keep some of their pride and dignity, which they have revamped since their triumph of 31 seats in the senate.  Political attitudes for an immigration reform are mixed within the republican party. Some are voicing against certain measure that are going to be proposed by the president in his executive actions on Thursday November 20th.  others have omitted any comments, like governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, because he will take a stance once he decides whether to join the 2016 race for president.  others like the Governor of Ohio, John R. Kasich, have openly stated that they are not against the idea.  All in all, Republicans have joined in their attitudes despite their celebrations of their victory on election day just 16 days ago.  The agree that there needs to be an immigration reform and that they will deal with undocumented immigrants in a fair way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/us/politics/-2014-11-20-us-republican-governors-seethe-over-obamas-immigration-move.html

executive order for about four to five million undocumented immigratns

Last week, President Obama announced of an executive order that would bring relief of deportation and work permits to millions of undocumented.  This has brought backlash from the Republican party and they have promised to do everything in their power to counter Mr. Obama's order.   Aside from the drama and politics among both parties, the executive order is definitely going to be signed.  Some of the shortcomings of the executive order will be expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to parents of D.R.E.A.M.ers, who will only possibly deferred from deportation, but not given work permits.  What will happen with D.A.C.A. is that the age limit will possibly be lifted and/or the education requirement will be lifted.  Healthcare will not be available to immigrants as it was also stated in S.B. 774 of 2013, but it will be available to the American born children of immigrants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/us/politics/obamacare-unlikely-for-undocumented-immigrants.html?_r=0

Documenting a New Landscape for the Undocumented

As the landscape of undocumented immigrants is being evened out, the number of immigrants living in the shadows is dwindling as well.  This is painting a different perspective on the group of 11 million or so. A new study done by the Pew Research Center, "found that half of nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants have lived here for at least 13 years and as many as 4 million have U.S.-born children." This is good news for the parents of those U.S.-born children because they might benefit from President Obama's plan on immigration.  An executive order much like DACA--Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--could bring temporary relieve about 36% of the immigrant population.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/illegal-immigrants-more-likely-to-have-lived-in-the-us-for-over-a-decade/2014/09/03/50f70120-3382-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html

Illiberal Regime: Democracy, Afghanistyle

On September 27, The Economist the published an article titled: Democracy, Afghan-style.  It talked about changes happening the executive branch in the country of Afghanistan.  Elections in June fell under investigation after the losing candidate, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, claimed fraud on behave of his opponent Ashraf Ghani.  The investigation was overseen by the United Nations and the results were not made public, so it can be assumed that fraud was committed by both parties.  Like any other illiberal regime--which is how Afghanistan can be categorized--it appears to be a democracy on paper, but whose practices are questionable.

<http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21620242-deal-between-two-presidential-candidates-share-power-best-outcome>.

Ebola Strikes The Lone Star State

Thomas Duncan was a Liberian American who contracted the Ebola virus and died on October 8, 2014.  this has caused initiative to take measures to screen airline passengers after their arrival to the U.S.  Duncan was questioned for symptoms and found to be free of any, so they sent him home.  He was admitted into a Dallas hospital in Texas after feeling symptoms and seeking help there.  Would he have been hospitalized early on from his arrival to the country, he would have had a better fighting chance.  President Obama has pushed for the screenings to be exercised in 5 of the major international airlines that travel to areas in Africa that have a high concentration of contamination of Ebola--Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/first-ebola-patient-in-us-dies-as-officials-announce-new-airport-screening-measures/2014/10/08/cfc95670-4f15-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html

Nigeria's Actions Contain Ebola

Ebola has become a notorious virus that has become synonymous with the word death.  Any person that becomes infected with the virus dies within a short time span.  Nigeria, one of Africa's most populous countries, recently had an outbreak of the virus.  This is cause for alarm given that countries like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have not been able to placate the fatal illness. Nigeria has surprisingly accomplished such feat by working with such organizations such as “the Health Ministry, the C.D.C., the World Health Organization, Unicef, Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee for the Red Cross.” (NYTimes)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/health/ebola-outbreak-in-nigeria-appears-to-be-over.html?_r=1