Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham mocked an Obama administration memo clarifying existing U.S. immigration policy meant to alleviate stress and anxiety among active duty service members and veterans. She dismissed the directive as “a pathway to voting” and claimed the administration was “using veterans to push through an amnesty.”  

In a November 15 memo, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new directive formally normalizing the “parole in place” policy for undocumented family members of active and retired U.S. service members, which allows undocumented immigrants in cases of “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit” to legally stay in the country while they apply for legal status.

“Parole in place” has been recognized by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service dating back to at least 1998, according to USCIS and was available on a case-by-case basis under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

As the New York Times reported:

Immigrants without papers generally have to leave the country to collect visas they applied for through marriage to an American citizen or some other family tie. But, in a notorious Catch-22, once those immigrants leave they are barred from returning for years. Under the new policy, those immigrants who are in military families will not have to leave to complete their visa applications.

Faced with the legal quandary, many service members chose not to apply for papers for immigrant spouses and relatives, often keeping their immigration status secret. As a result, there is no way of knowing how many immigrants will be affected by the new policy, but it could be tens of thousands.

Immigrants involved will have work permits and will have to renew their documents yearly.

Discussing the Obama administration memo, Ingraham dismissed it as “yet another amnesty for still another group of illegal aliens,” adding that this time it was done “under the guise of relieving quote, stress and anxiety of our troops.” She continued: “They're either hiding behind the children -- it's the children, sob stories about family unification, now it's the veterans.”

In fact, USCIS reported that the directive came out of “concern within DoD that some active members of the U.S. Armed Services, individuals serving in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve and individuals who have previously served in the U.S. Armed Forces or Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve face stress and anxiety because of the immigration status of their family members in the United States.” The memo went on to note:

Military preparedness can potentially be adversely affected if active members of the U.S. Armed Forces and individuals serving in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve, who can be quickly called into active duty, worry about the immigration status of their spouses, parents and children.

Similarly, our veterans, who have served and sacrificed for our nation, can face stress and anxiety because of the immigration status of their family members in the United States. We as a nation have made a commitment to our veterans, to support and care for them. It is a commitment that begins at enlistment, and continues as they become veterans.

Immigration attorney and retired Army Lt. Col. Margaret D. Stock called the directive an “enormous step forward for military families and military readiness” as these “problems had been a complete nightmare for many military people to deal with.”

Ingraham, who is a staunch defender of U.S. troops, has an entire page of her website titled “Support Our Troops.” It lists several organizations that help service members: