Filipinos eagerly await Obama’s immigration orders

By Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

August 6, 2014

LOS ANGELES – As the House of Representatives has gone on recess, the clock is ticking.

President Obama has hinted that he will use his executive powers to address immigration reform by September.

While House Republicans have threatened to challenge any of his possible orders – from immigrant rights advocates to the undocumented themselves – they eagerly wait for the orders to be handed down.

“It’s good that he’s pledging to take administrative action but we still have to pressure him to make sure that he holds to his word,” said Aqui Versoza of the Pilipino Workers Center.

For some young once undocumented immigrants reaping the benefits of the 2012 Differed Action for Childhood Arrivals program, they continue to hope the speculation that DACA will be extended to their undocumented parents will happen.

“It’s been really helpful since my parents are undocumented. They’re usually the first to get laid off in jobs and DACA has really helped me help my parents and support them financially,” said DACA recipient Madison Villanueva.

Filipino Republicans say while they support changes to the immigration system, people should be patient with Republican lawmakers, and nothing that President Obama does can be guaranteed beyond his presidency.

“We know that there’s always Congress that’s supposed to be doing legislation with the president being the executive, but I think anything that helps the immigrants is good for all of us,” explained Dr. Leo Pandac, a former executive director of the National Asian American Republican Council. “But I think we need to be a nation of laws, not of man, and it’s a gray area for all of us. As you know, executive orders are only good through the time the president is in office.”

With all the speculation, Filipinos on both sides of the political spectrum say they just want to see what’s best for fellow immigrants.