Immigration reform means different things to different people. To progressives and vote-seeking democrats, it seems to mean blanket amnesty to more than 12 million people in the country illegally. To others, it means stopping the flow of people across the borders, including those who enter through airports and never leave.
Republicans and Democrats as far apart on this issue as ever. Barack Obama suggested Thursday he would broaden his “informal amnesty for illegal immigrants.”
This election year, Democrats are fully expected to pay a heavy price for Obamacare, if not for other scandals, so the Obama statement looks like a blatant grab for the Latino vote.
There are few other explanations.
Conservatives are not going along with that scenario, so you can count on Obama’s words to stall the progressive pie-in-the-sky plan for amnesty to get past congress.
One really bad part of the Democrat idea of what Comprehensive Immigration Reform means is the doubling of already too high legal immigration, that has seen America’s population explode, damaging natural resources and turning the country into a bloated unemployed mess.
Speaking to congressional Hispanics, the White House said, “The President emphasized his deep concern about the pain too many families feel from the separation that comes from our broken immigration system.”
The White House further said that Obama “told the members that he has asked Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to do an inventory of the Department’s current practices to see how it can conduct enforcement more humanely within the confines of the law.”
Hispanic groups advocate zero deportations. Annoying lawmakers who are attempting to form a coalition for sensible immigration change, these groups are shouting their slogan, “Not One More.”
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the outspoken Hispanic Democrat from Illinois said, “It is clear that the pleas from the community got through to the President. The President clearly expressed the heartbreak he feels because of the devastating effect that deportations have on families.”
Obama may continue to issue regulations that effectively end enforcement against some groups of illegals, and that is likely to wind up Republicans to such a degree that they will prevent any immigration reform before the election.
Unlike in the recent past, Obama is now powerless to stop them, since only Congress can actually change the law, denying residency to foreigners unless they wotk through the legal immigration system.
Mr. Obama has been selectively enforcing laws, or more correctly, circumventing laws that he doesn’t like. Republicans in Congress are working on a bill to stop him selectively applying the law. See House Passes Bill to Corral Obama’s Interpretation of The Constitution
GOP leaders say they can’t pass immigration bills until they’re reassured by Obama that he will enforce the sections of laws that he does not like.
That is unlikely, so gridlock continues.
Obama’s planned strategy to gain Hispanic support will make it almost impossible for GOP leaders already skeptical of Obama’s political motives to claim they can trust Obama to enforce any new immigration law.
There are also differences between republicans. Some are saying their stance on immigration is hurting them, so they want to make changes. Some see that as another looming appeasement to allow massive amnesty.
