Obama Flouts Constitution With Immigration Edict

The Obama administration’s latest flouting of the Constitution came today when it was announced that they will stop deporting illegal immigrants. If the illegals came to the country under the age of 16, and have led law-abiding lives since their arrival, the Obama administration will bypass Congress and grant work permits to illegals under the age of 30, providing they have been in the country for at least 5 continuous years, graduated from high school, served in the military or have a GED. Illegal immigrants meeting these requirements can apply for a two-year work visa, which has no limits on the number of times it can be renewed. The Obama administration claims this will not be a path towards citizenship, but allow illegal immigrants to work legally, without the fear of deportation.

This policy basically institutes the highly contentious DREAM Act, which would create a path towards citizenship for illegal immigrants who attended college or served in the military. The DREAM Act has come before Congress on multiple occasions, but has failed to pass.

This policy is ridiculous for two reasons. One, it is unconstitutional. All legislative powers in this country are granted to Congress, not the president. This new immigration policy is an edict – the president telling the rest of the government what they shall and shall not do. It is disturbingly dictatorial.

Secondly, the very premise on which the law rests is paradoxical. The policy grants work visas to illegal immigrants who have led law-abiding lives since their arrival in the country. They are illegal immigrants; their presence in the country is in itself a crime. Furthermore, this policy, which basically grants amnesty to illegal immigrants, will be nothing but a magnet, drawing more illegals into the country. This not only undermines the economy and undermines our national defense, but seriously hurts legal immigrants who come to this country, work hard and obey the laws, in the hopes that they can gain citizenship.