The President has decided to postpone implementing promised changes on immigration reform through Executive Action until after the November U.S.Congressional elections. Thus a major promise of his 2012 reelection campaign has become a political football, punted in order to help democrats maintain control of the U.S. Senate, and has left many Latino and pro-immigration voters feeling that their concerns don’t matter.
Editor-In-Chief
An analysis of Homeland Security records shows that the U.S. government is currently projected to deport the lowest number of immigrants this year, since President Obama took office in 2008. While Obama ran on a pro-immigration platform, he has earned the dubious nickname of the “deporter-in-chief”, by deporting higher numbers of unauthorized immigrants during his six years in office than either of his two predecessors
However, many immigrant advocacy groups are upset by the recent announcement from the administration that it will delay action on immigration reform. While this move may yield some political benefits, it could cost the president political capital as well. It has disenfranchised many Latino voters, and some have said they lost all confidence that he will act on his prolonged promise to reform our immigration system. During Obama’s initial presidential run in 2008, he assured voters that his top priority would be immigration reform if elected, however once in office this was quickly eclipsed by his push for healthcare reform.
Obama again promised action in 2010, and with a majority democrat congress, real change seemed palpable, but remained elusive. Latino voters helped Obama turn the tide against Romney in the 2012 election in key battleground states, but the president continued to postpone his reforms. Now facing a deep partisan divide in congress, he announced that he would go forward without Congressional approval through the use of executive orders, a move which drew the ire of many republicans in congress.
Even if the president does finally decide to act on immigration reform, there are limits to what he can accomplish without congressional approval. He does not have authority to give large groups of immigrant’s permission to remain in the U.S. indefinitely, nor can he grant them blanket citizenship. He can delay deportations of those already in the country illegally, and issue official work permits, enabling them to find legal jobs, file tax returns and obtain driver’s licenses.
“As a first-time voter I believed the President would keep his campaign promise of helping immigrants without a criminal record remain in the U.S. without fear of deportation” says Leidys Santamaria, a naturalized citizen.