“Despite the claims of the Obama administration that they’ve been tough on illegal immigration and that the border is more secure than ever,” Center for Immigration Studies director of policy studies Jessica Vaughan told The Daily Caller, “the fact is that they have gone to extreme measures and have really stretched the authority of the executive branch to try to slow down immigration law enforcement in the interior to a slow trickle.”
Vaughan pointed to a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement settlement that awarded $350,000 to 11 illegal immigrants in New Haven, Conn.
The plaintiffs had accused ICE agents of violating constitutional protections against racial profiling after they were arrested in the “sanctuary city” in 2007.
The settlement also terminated the plaintiffs’ deportation proceedings.
“The administration has chosen not to defend the actions of its agency in doing its routine job,” Vaughan explained. “They have put pressure on all of the agents all over the country to avoid arresting illegal aliens.”