Editorial, Opinion

EDIT: The new face of immigration reform?

In U.S. President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday night, he once again called for immigration reform — but don’t worry, just like he said last year and the year before, this time he really means it.

Luckily for Obama, Justin Bieber not only sang Christmas carols with his two daughters back in 2011, but based on recent allegations, he also provided the White House a glaring opportunity to publicize its stance on immigration reform in America.

Most of us have been shamefully  following Bieber in the news since his demise began last year when he allegedly peed in a bucket at a club. Or did it all originate when he broke up with Selena for the seventh time? Either way, it doesn’t matter how or when Bieber’s downfall began because now it has spiraled so out of control that the White House is forced to get involved.

Following allegations that Bieber egged his neighbor’s home in Calabasas, Calif., police found drugs when they raided the pop star’s mansion last Thursday. Following this incident, Bieber was arrested on Jan. 23 after he was caught drag racing and allegedly admitting to having alcohol, marijuana and prescription anti-anxiety drugs in his system. Bieber has an arraignment set for Feb.14 — which surely has crushed the hopes of all those hoping to be his “one less lonely girl” on Valentine’s Day.

The kicker to this whole situation is since Bieber is not a citizen and only in the United States on a temporary, renewable visa, his alleged DUI puts him up for possible deportation. Those who claim they care about the bigger issues in the news such as the Syrian conflict and revolution in the Ukraine should also put the question of Bieber’s deportation on their list, because belieb it or not, the verdict for this case could be monumental for immigration reform in America.

Simply put, Obama wants to reform our immigration system to make it easier for undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship. Doing so would mean lightening the terms in which temporary residents, such as Mr. Bieber, are deported. Regardless of how many jokes can be made over Bieber’s possible deportation, this has become a very real and serious question within America — one serious enough that it could put Obama’s credibility even further on the line.

Anti-Beliebers created a petition on the White House website entitled, “Deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card.” Similar to the White House petitions created to construct a Star Wars Death Star and to make Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” the National Anthem, this petition crossed the required 100,000 signatures on Wednesday to garner mandatory attention by the White House.

However, before the White House makes its final decision on Bieber’s citizenship, the real question they need to answer is why hasn’t he already been deported? According to the Immigration Policy Center, an average of 400,000 immigrants are deported a year for “aggravated felony,” which includes minor, non-violent theft offense such as drug possession, forgery and tax evasion. Another crime considered an aggravated felony is assault — similar to what Bieber was accused of doing to a photographer last May.

But, in America, if a celebrity immigrant with millions of dollars allegedly assaults a member of the paparazzi but has the money to spend on the nation’s best lawyers, then did the assault ever even happen? Well, considering the fact that Bieber was still parading around Miami Beach in a $260,000 Lamborghini Gallardo as of last week, apparently the answer is no.

If the White House decides to deport Bieber for his most recent allegations, then the “broken immigration system” that Obama is desperately trying to fix will be blatantly projected into the public eye. But, on the other hand, if Bieber is allowed to stay in the country, how will the White House explain to all of the other undocumented citizens who were deported for shoplifting or possessing some of marijuana?

Bieber has definitely pushed the implications of America’s “broken” immigration system into the limelight. There is a lot more that will go into the White House’s ultimate decision to deport Bieber or not rather than simply claiming he is a stain on our world of pop culture and a terrible influence on our nation’s youth. Because in this case, the only way the White House can avoid allegations of favoring immigrants who are celebrities and non-minorities is by deporting Bieber and including him under the existing laws before the system is changed. On the other hand, if he actually is deported, Obama’s attempt to reform the existing immigration laws will fail once again, and this time in front of a much bigger audience.

No matter what the White House decides regarding Bieber’s citizenship, this case is going to open up a huge can of worms in America — subsequently leaving Obama between a rock, a hard place and a lot of angry Beliebers.

 

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This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.

2 Comments

  1. When so many immigrants, most of are Mexican are deported for far less matters. Why does it take a president of the US to have this criminal deported? immigrants who violate laws are taken to deportation centers to await a hearing with an immigration judge. Why is it that Justin bonehead is free?? One day those like Justin will kill some one because of their life style. Fast and free, money to burn. Politicians to care for them and legal systems that only punish the poor. Where are all those immigration officers at when this clown goes to court? He jumps from one state to another violating laws like a moonshine runner. Where is the FBI? This matter should not raise to the level of the President. This is just one of many rich, young law breakers that could have and should have been deported long ago.

  2. Illegal alien after illegal alien in MA are arrested every week for multiple simultaneous infractions often involving accidents involving bodily harm and death – and the MA govt – and Gov Patrick – who is originally from Chicago like POTUS and a ersonal friend of POTUS, discourages local police from even verifying their immigration status and thus proper adherence to SETTLED LAW requiring deportation. These multiple offenses often include driving without a license, DUI, driving an unregistered vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, and drug offenses. Just read the local papers where these offenses appear daily. In one well documented incident in august 2011 a 23 year old American native to Milford. MA was run over by a drunken illegal alien and known criminal driving a pickup truck and dragged screaming to his death for a quarter mile despite people banging on the side of the truck. Google ‘motorcyclist killed by alien in MA’.