1970s first established the legal basis for president obama taking executive action on immigration. John lennons lawyer, one of the great courtroom crusaders of our time is here to explain. But first, the attack on a synagogue today in jerusalem. Among the dead, three americans. Were following reaction out of jerusalem. Todays synagogue attack in jerusalem. Five people dead, three of them rabbis. Two attackers stormed a synagogue in jerusalem this morning. Two palestinians entered with cleavers, knives and a gun. And attacked people that were praying. They were saying the two suspects were from east jerusalem. Both were killed in a shootout with Israeli Police. Benjamin netanyahu ordered the demolition of their homes in east jerusalem. The environment has been in free fall for much of this year. The attack falls several weeks of rising tensions. The violence has been building the last few weeks. Those have been fuelled by access. Trying to access the noble sanctuary. To one only jerusalems holiest sites. So far, the violence is mostly in jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city on edge. Four men including three americans with israeli citizenship were killed this morning on an attack in a synagogue in west jerusalem, carried out by two palestinian cousins armed with axes, knives and a gun. People who have come to worship god in a sanctuary in a synagogue were hatcheted and hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder. The two attackers and one Police Officer were later killed in a shootout. Several people were injured. President obama today condemned that attack. Israeli, as well as the United States, and our hearts go ought to the families who obviously are undergoing enormous grief right now. Tragically, too many israelis have died, too many palestinians have died. We encourage both palestinians and israelis to Work Together to lower tensions. Todays violence seems related to a long history of conflict between israelis and palestinians over praying at the holy site jews call temple mount and muslims call the noble sanctuary. Two weeks ago, israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu pushed back against calls from right wing mps with the restrictions playing at the site. Today, netanyahu blamed hamas and the Palestinian Authority for spreading lies that incited the attack and ordered the demolition of the attackers homes and the homes of other palestinian terrorists who had carried out recent attacks. The president Mahmoud Abbas in this recent rash of violence. Hamas, on the other hand, praised todays attack, telling nbc news, we congratulate this operation and ask our people to revenge and to do more attacks against israelis. This is a normal action against the enemy. Joining me now by phone from jerusalem is shira frankel, the middle east correspondent for buzz feed news. Also joining us nbc news foreign correspondent, what is the situation in jerusalem now . People are really tense. Theyre worried this is going to be the first of many attack, ongoing attacks in jerusalem. I spoke to parents earlier today and they said theyre keeping their children out of School Tomorrow because theyre worried both sides might attack and this is going to escalate further. The Palestinian Authority condemns the attack. Hamas glagt golden states. Two different narratives. Obviously hamas is seen by israel as a terrorist organization and at the same time, hamas has been fighting over the course of the last several years. Very much against israel by using these types of tactics, terrorist tactics. They believe in their eye what is they call armed resistance as the only way for the Palestinian People to achooe their independence. Obviously Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, still believe in negotiations and a peace process. And thats why they condemned it. And what has Benjamin Netanyahu said about israeli reaction to this . He asked israelis to be restrained. And not take matters in their own hands. Thats something israel has seen in the past. Vigilante acts of revenge and hes worried about that happening again. Hes asked his own members of Parliament Saying thats going to enflame tensions further. And hes basically making a call to people to calm things. He knows this is not something Israeli Police can calm on their own. Theyve seen random lone wolf attacks. And hes hoping that by calling tensions across the board, hell be able to sort of deescalate the situation. Trace the history of us for this conflict at temple mount. The old city, as you mentioned, its one of the holiest sites for all three major religions in this world. Since then, its been under the custodianship of the jordanian authorities. Muslim worshippers allowed to pray at the noble sanctuary, theyre not allowed to actually pray inside or on the top of the temple mount as they see it. But in recent weeks, the israeli government, or the Israeli Parliament was trying to reduce legislation. There were calls by right wing israelis that they wanted to change that rule to allow jewish worshippers into the noble sanctuary of the temple mount. John kerry flew to the region to try to negotiate some kind of agreement. And we heard from the israeli officials trying to calm situations down by saying they are not going to change the status quo, that the status quo would remain in place. But in the past several year, the restrictions on muslim worshippers into the noble sanctuary has become increasingly difficult. Theyve limited who can go in and who cant go in to pray for muslims. And that has just continued to build up that tension. Shira, it sounds like to some extent thats the israelis are trying to preserve a status quo while also slightly adjusting the status quo over time. Yeah, definitely. Weve seen a shift. Its become its not mainstream, but more acceptable for jewish politicians, israeli politicians to openly call for jews to be able to pray on the temple mound. And thats something we never would have heard five or ten years ago. The groups of jewish visitors as well going there. Weve been down to the floor to actually mutter a prayer. The little acts that they see as rebellion are viewed as incredibly disrespectable by muslims who are there praying. Weve seen an increase in this. Thats kind of gradually excluded thing to a point weve gotten to today. Whats your judgment about what the next step might be . Where might we be on this a week from now . Its going to depend on the leadership from both sides. Friday is always a big obviously in jerusalem. It is the holy day for muslims. Thousands of palestinians will try to enter the mosque for prayers, but it also will come down to the israeli authorities and whether or not they are going to attempt to destroy and demolish the homes of these two palestinians or are they going to try to push that down the road . Keep in mind, when the israelis killed the palestinian teenager, some of the israeli authorities did not go destroy the homes of the israeli perpetrators. You can see why when israel is going to destroy the homes of these palestinian attacker, theres going to be a lot of anger and perhaps that could once again trigger another round of violence. But right now on the palestinian side, theres a disconnect between the palestinian leadership and the people on the streets. Thank you both for joining me tonight. Coming up, why before our criminal president Richard Nixon was forced to resign from office in disgrace he managed to shake hands with Elvis Presley and try to deport john lennon. Luckily for undocumented immigrants today, john lennon and his very brave lawyer did not back down from a fight with president nixon. John lennons amazing lawyer will join me next. helicopter whirring roars siren wails pop music playing when youre ready ready, ready, ready come and get it get it, get it when youre ready, come and get it na na na na na na na na na na na when youre ready, come and get it na na na na. Female announcer its a great big world and it can all be yours. Here and only here. Come and get it. Tonights vote in the senate to approve construction of the Keystone Pipeline failed by one vote. Mary landrieu of louisiana pushed the pipeline bill and in the end she got 59 of the 60 votes needed for passage. Senator landrieu is facing a Runoff Election in december to retain her senate seat. Republicans say theyll bring the bill back to the senate floor when they have the majority in january. Up next, how john lennon opened the door that dreamers and other undocumented immigrants can now walk through. receptionist gunderman group. Gunderman group is growing. Getting in a groove. Growth is gratifying. Goal is to grow. Gotta get greater growth. I just talked to ups. They got expert advise, special discounts, new technologies. Like smart pick ups. Theyll only show up when you print a label and its automatic. We save time and money. Time . Money . Time and money. Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome awesome all awesome i love logistics. Its still where i like to be. Its still paris or rome to me. Like they used to be thousands of years ago and i want to be here. I want to be able to be here and be in england or france or travel wherever i want. I dont expect to be you know, hasled unless im going to hungary or something, czechoslovakia, then i would expect it. Thats john lennon in 1975 outside the courthouse in new york city where he was fighting deportation. I learned something about john lennon on this program last night. The Supreme Court has recognized the action many times. It has recently the authority of the government to exercise discretion cently as 2012. And regulations have recognized this since 1978 when for the first time the first known beneficiary of deferred action was john lennon. John lennon. People say im a dreamer, but im not the only one. The dreamer who wrote those lyrics was, of course, john lennon who actually was americas first immigration dreamer. Because the legal precedent established in john lennons immigration case 42 years ago is the first legal Building Block that gave president obama the authority through executive action to in effect grant new status to the dreamers in june of 2012. Effective immediately, the department of Homeland Security is taking steps to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people. Over the next few months, eligible individuals who do not present a risk to National Security or Public Safety will be able to request tech rare relief from deportation proceedings and apply for work authorization. The door that was opened by john lennons Immigration Court battle has now deferred deportation of more than 580,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally when they were children. President obama is now planning to allow millions more people to pass through that door. Here is how general lennon opened that door. President Richard Nixon, the only president in history forced to resign the presidency because of his own criminal conduct, was not a beatles fan. Here he is in the oval office with Elvis Presley in 1970, who by the time, could not have been more uncool. Elvis rock n roll had quickly become Old Fashioned once the beatles made it to the United States. John lennon had picked up a conviction for possession of cannabis residue in london in 1968, which is all the white house needed to deport him during Richard Nixons releks campaign when john lennon was planning a concert tour and Voter Registration drive that would help drive Richard Nixon out of office in favor of the most liberal antiwar candidate ever nominated by a major party, democrat george mcgovern. John lennon hired a new york city Immigration Lawyer to fight his deportation. The lawyer leon wilds was 39 years old, but couldnt have been listening to the radio very much in those days because he had to actually ask a colleague who is john lennon . He tried many approaches to win legal status for john lennon, including challenging the law that said convictions for possession of narcotic drugs or marijuana was grounds for deportation. He presented expert testimony that cannabis resin was not marijuana and not covered by the law. And he actually asked john lennon if hashish was marijuana to which john lennon replied, oh, no, much better than marijuana. But most importantly, through the freedom of information acts, leon wilds discovered that the Immigration National ralization Service Using prosecutorial discretion in deciding who to deport. He discovered 1,843 cases of such prosecutorial discretion, which was part of a secret program then. And after he made that secret program public, the agency was then forced to issue public guidelines for the use of that kind of prosecutorial discretion, thus enshrining in law for the first time that prosecutorial discretion that president obama has used to help dreamers and expected to use to help millions more immigrants remain in this country. The 1986 Immigration Reform law further clarified prosecutorial discretion to include deferred action on some immigrants who could then be allowed to legally work while their immigration cases were pepding. That is the basic Legal Authority that president obama is expected to use when he takes action on immigration. It is an authority he might not have if john lennon didnt bring in wilds to fight Richard Nixons immigration and naturalization service. It is my honor now to be joined by john lennons immigration attorney leon wilds and his son michael wilds. First of all, thank you very, very much for being here. This really is an honor. I remember as a kid watching you on television coming out of the courthouse with john lennon. In fact, i think we have a little more video of that that we can show right now. Lets take a look at that. Your defense must be costing you a lot of money. Yeah. Is it worth it . It will be. I dont care about the money. I want to be here. If i cared about the money i would be living in switzerland. I wouldnt be living in england or america. Both the taxes are high. I mean, its only that much difference between the english and the american tax. And if i cared about money, i would be in switzerland. Wouldnt i, folks . Thats a good idea, isnt it . Leon, i know you went after this case in the representation of an individual client, but did you realize at the time that when you found this prosecutorial discretion that you could be opening the door for more people than just john lennon . Yes, i did. Actually, john asked me when i had explained to him that this has Great Potential for other people, he asked me whether i would continue studying it and publish some articles on it so that other lawyers might be able to use it in the future. It was very important to him. Tell us what it was like just to work with john lennon. John lennon the person in this situation. He was a very sweet, kind person. He was concerned about everybody around him. My children were he would find out how were they doing. How is my wife . We met in an elevator once going in the immigration building and he was so kind. He would call to express his best on all the jewish holidays, because he knew that i didnt answer the phone on friday night and saturday. And he was so thoughtful and concerned about my well being. It was a very, very special guy. And the case dragged on for years, didnt it . Yes. Actually, we dragged it on for years until we were able to get to a point where we could sue the government under the freedom of information act for all this important information. And it needed we needed to prolong his stay in the United States, because the government, mr. Nixons administration charged him with being an overstay by making up the rules as they went along. He was perfectly in legal status. They had just given him two weeks to leave. And they cut off his time within the two weeks and charged him with being an overstay for about half a week. It was an outrageous violation of his constitutional rights. Anticipate he reacted very well to it. He seemed to accept what the government was doing as what governments do. He saw the approach that he had. He only wanted to be able to live here peacefully and travel. And michael, one of the extraordinary things about it that we all saw when we were watching you and john lennon on the courthouse steps in these cases was, this was someone who loved america, loved new york city sfeskically. Really could live anywhere in the world, really wanted to live here. John had goped an extraordinary love for this nation. And i have to say, through my dads scholarship in this case, he taught for 33 years in law school an Immigration Law class. And i had the bridge of meet middleweight wife in the class and im teaching the class now. But it was an enduring relationship. Do you teach the lennon case . I do. In fact, my dad comes each year. I got into the business just to carry his briefcase. He comes each year and teaches that class which is in a few weeks time. And its an enduring case that was a snapshot of america gone bad. And a dreamer and a scholar getting together and not knowing the effect that this would have on our nation a generation later. Now leon, this was a president with an enemys list. This was as nasty a president as we have had in modern times, as we know. You were going into direct battle with Richard Nixon when you took on this case. J. Edgar hoover, these were people who were willing