Civil Rights News: Financial Exploitation of the Elderly; Obama Protects Undocumented Students; Parties Await the Affordable Care Act Ruling

Compiled by Tori Kim, a Summer 2012 Leadership Conference Education Fund Intern

New Obama Policy Will Spare Some From Deportation
Alicia A. Caldwell and Jim Kuhnhenn
Seattle Times

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the Obama administration’s decision to provide young undocumented immigrants between the ages of 15-30 with valid work permits and protection from deportation. This change is estimated to affect up to 800,000 people, and it fulfills, in part, the long held goals of the 2010 DREAM Act, which sought to provide citizenship to young undocumented immigrants who had received an American high school degree or had served in the U.S. military. While this policy is not connected with a provision of citizenship to these young people, it will enable them to work legally within the United States for a substantial period of time.

With Justices Set to Rule on Health Law, 2 Parties Strategize
Jonathan Weisman and Michael D. Shear
New York Times

The Republicans and Democrats are preparing their responses for the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the Affordable Care Act, which the Court is expected to announce within the next two weeks. The parties anticipate that the court will either uphold or throw out the law, or “[invalidate] the insurance-purchasing mandate but [preserve] most of the law.” According to House majority leader, Eric Cantor, the House Republicans plan to call for the law’s repeal if it is not rejected by the court. On the other side, the Democrats aim to increase public awareness that the court’s ruling will have marginal impacts on “the heart of health care law” as a whole.

U.S. Targets Financial Abuse of Elderly
Jim Puzzanghera
Los Angeles Times

A report pursued by federal regulators indicates that, in recent years, the number of cases of elderly financial exploitation in the United States has increased. The AARP Public Policy Institute attributes this problem not only to financial predators, but also to caregivers and family members that are trusted by senior citizen victims. In addition, specific measures have been taken to involve public commentary in the discussion surrounding a solution to this issue, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s investigation has recently gained substantial funding to test those solutions to end elder abuse.