This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

In his annual message for World Migration Day 1996, Pope John Paul II urged immigration reform, especially on behalf of "those who, after a long stay, are so deeply rooted in the local society that returning to their country of origin would be tantamount to a form of reverse emigration, with serious consequences particularly for the children."

In 2010, when President Obama had the political power to keep his promise to the Hispanic community to bring about real immigration reform, he could have urged Congress to pass the DREAM ACT. The act would have conferred legal status on the most deserving of illegal immigrants, namely children brought here when they were young and who have graduated from high school in the U.S. He did not.

On the contrary, he has deported more people than any other president — 392,863 immigrants last year. According to Department of Homeland Security data, 79 percent of individuals deported through the "Secure Communities" program between October 2008 and June 2010 were non-criminals or were picked up for such low-level offenses as traffic violations. No, the Obama administration has not been a friend to the Hispanic community and yet has taken its vote for granted. As recently as July 25, he said that his hands are tied because it is up to Congress to enact reforms.

However, three weeks after meeting with the Hispanic leadership, the president's job approval rating among Hispanics had dropped from 86 percent to 49 percent. So, in an obvious effort to salvage the Hispanic vote he badly needs to be re-elected, Obama finally acted, changing federal immigration policy by executive decree.

On Aug. 15, the administration announced that it would set up an interagency task force to review 300,000 cases pending in the immigration courts to determine which cases are "low priority" and may be administratively closed.

Truth be told, immigration officials already have a wide-range of prosecutorial discretion to forego removal proceedings and deportation, but they rarely use it.

President Obama's pronouncement is a message of false hope that has sent the immigrant community on another roller coaster of confusion. From Arizona law SB1070 to Utah's requirement that all driving privilege card applicants be fingerprinted, immigrants are left with a sense of utter confusion about their rights and immigration laws.

But Obama's initiative does more damage as a perceived move toward amnesty which is inciting immigrants to actions that could ultimately hurt them and tear their families apart. My immigration firm has been flooded with emails and calls from immigrants asking if they can turn themselves in to immigration officials so that they can stay in the U.S. and get a work permit.

To the person living outside the U.S., the message is to pack up the family and risk death in the desert or forced recruitment by Mexican drug cartels to enter the U.S. because Obama will not deport you.

Here are the facts. The president is not granting amnesty to anyone. Should you turn yourself in to federal immigration officials in hopes of staying in the U.S.? Absolutely not, because if you do you will be aggressively prosecuted.

If, however, you are already in deportation proceedings and believe that you are a low priority for the government, you should consult with an immigration attorney who understands both immigration and criminal law to ask that your case be closed.

Immigrants should not wait for their case to be reviewed in the sea of 300,000 cases. Most likely they and/or their loved ones will be deported before their case ever is reviewed.

You can act now, and you should, because immigration officials already have this discretion to close your case and make many favorable decisions and are, for now, possibly more inclined to do so. There is opportunity for some immigrants in the U.S. This decree, however, is not the panacea many immigrants see it as. Please act cautiously.

Gloria Cardenas Conn is the managing partner of FAMILIA AMERICA, LLC Immigration and Criminal Law, located in West Valley City.