Obama Hurt the Cause of Illegal Immigrants

Dan

I support a pathway to citizenship for illegals. I oppose sanctuary cities and believe in deporting criminals. I oppose Trump’s wall and think it is ridiculous. I didn’t oppose the “Gang of Eight” bill, because while it wasn’t perfect, it started somewhere. Obviously, all this can put me at odds with many conservatives. However, my own opinions toward policy aside, I supported enforcing the immigration laws as they stood until reform could be passed through legislation.

Obama’s decision to halt enforcing the law was a massive mistake that backfired onto undocumented immigrants. It stoked the fires of angst against them. It was the typical overreach of a President who never developed a workable relationship with Congress and generally despised the system of government. While the Veterans’ healthcare system laid in ruins and Obamacare emptied the wallets and limited the healthcare of Americans, Obama and the Congressional Democrats, (who never bothered to oppose him even though he despised them, too) turned away from citizens and focused intensely on illegal immigrants. It’s not surprising that Americans felt resentful and slighted.

The hopes of achieving consensus on immigration are only diminished when a President appears to favor non-citizens over citizens, particularly veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. The resentment can easily transfer into the  targeting of illegals for all of the country’s woes and struggles. It is, of course, a simplified position to take, but one that was enabled by the President’s persistence and hijacked for the campaign trail in 2016.

Ironic, and unfortunate, that the Democrat’s approach to illegal immigrants might have hurt them the most.  ​