A fact I haven't seen mentioned is that for sixteen years this man has been working at a job that an American citizen or a legal immigrant could have been doing, feeding his family and having one less person on the unemployment rolls. Citizens and those who come here legally should always come first. As for breaking up a family, there in nothing stopping his family from going with him.
If a POTUS can pardon felons,frauds and cheats in the hundreds, * it becomes apparent that there are and can be extenuating circumstances warranting pardon or a just judgement. The guy should stay because it's simply wrong to do else wise. *President, Bill Clinton used his power under the U.S. Constitution to grant pardons and clemency to 456 people, thus commuting the sentences of those already convicted of a crime, and obviating a trial for those not yet convicted. On January 20, 2001, he pardoned 140 people in the final hours of his presidency.[2]
Yes he could do that, however the day after such a pardon... the guy would again be an illegal immigrant, as the President cannot pardon future crimes against U.S. Code.
Honorary citizenship can be bestowed by a POTUS or possibly by an act of congress(?) or Private bill. Wiki "Honorary citizenship should not be confused with citizenship or permanent residency bestowed by a private bill. Private bills are, on rare occasions, used to provide relief to individuals, often in immigration cases, and are also passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. One such statute, granting Elián González US citizenship, was suggested in 1999, but was never enacted."
As your 2nd paragraph states, an honorary citizenship is mostly hocum. Naturalization of any immigrant is strictly within the domain of Congress, per... To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States. Art. I, Sec. 8.4 Congress really needs to address immigration, as there are probably 10s of thousands (or more) with similar issues as the one presented. However, a lot of Americans seem to think the term illegal as being synonymous with gangs, crime, etc. and react accordingly when any type of proposed amnesty or change in law is made. Imagine the outcry if a proposal were made to change laws allowing any illegal to start the path to citizenship if they have lived, worked and paid taxes the past 16 years and were married and had 4 children. The screams of amnesty would be heard everywhere.
I maintain there can sometimes be exceptions made. If none scream when POTUS pardons felons by the hundreds I doubt that the pardon or act on behalf of an individual or two would cause meaningful ripples in the outcry of the vox populi.
So who is going to choose which individual or two should be the exceptions? It wouldn't be fair to make exceptions for some and not others, so here we are back to letting everyone disregard our laws.
Fair? You expect fair? Life ain't fair. Cancer isn't fair. Laws ain't either. Some guilty get convicted some not. Some cheat on welfare some not.Some get pardoned some not. Who would choose ? The same authorities that choose now but with defined exceptions, on merit.. Reason should choose not draconian principal.
For many years we invited Mexican workers over to work the crops, and hold job s with small businesses, work not offered to American citizens because Americans demanded higher wages or considered this work beneath them. There is/was not a large farmer or any size rancher in south or west Texas that didn't hire what used to cue called wetbacks. They preferred them. They considered them harder workers, they could pay them much less and they often violated US laws to do so. They allowed them to assimilate in this country and helped them do so. This was done all along the border with Mexico from California to Texas. I grew up in Texas worked there all my working life and have never worked for one company that didn't hire illegals, and have some unofficial plan in place in case immigration people raided. When immigration caught someone and deported them, most often they would be back in a week or two and would get their job back. We brought much of this illegal immigration upon ourselves. Word was put out what illegals needed to do to stay in the U. S. Not by the illegals themselves but by white business owners seeking cheap labor. It just got out of hand.I have seen it all my working life in the state of Texas. Lawmakers have talked about this since forever, influenced by American business, American Farmers and ranchers, and hoodwinked it. We sort of brought it on ourselves. Mexicans didn't drift across the border for no reason. They had to have work and we gladly provided it and in many places, still do. We ourselves are much to blame for this individual and are now betraying him. We cannot however, admit to our own sins.
@Bill Boggs How much I appreciate your thoughts, as well as content from your own experience! I see things in a similar light: good, hard-working folks just trying to make a living to raise families, most religiously inclined, not willing to break ANY laws except those which kept them bound in, basically, servitude in their birthplace. They broke U.S. law by coming here, found employment, stuck to it, earned far more money here under "servitude conditions" than they would have below the border, hurt no one really, as Americans CAN NOT, and WILL NOT, work in a field 8 hours in 110` temperatures pulling out invasive weeds from between cotton plants. I've seen them doing it, marveled at their tenacity, their resilience, the fact that 8 hours similar drudgery would kill me. Felt sorry for them. Nonetheless, they were far better off, far happier, than they had been in Mexico. Give these people a BREAK, for Christ's sake! Frank
I once was entranced en passant by the major work being done to the golf course we were at in the South. I noticed that five or 6 Mexicans were digging and carrying blocks and using wheel barrows. In attendance (standing around spectators) were several, perhaps 7 or 8 Black fellows in their (?) early thirties casually interested in the process. Seems they had nought better to do?