When history looks back on President Barack Obama’s most significant accomplishments, championing the Affordable Care Act and signing it into law will be at the top of that list. His efforts to resolve America’s immigration crisis should belong on that list, too. But because of liberal overreach and political correctness, the president’s record on immigration is continually maligned and misrepresented in a way that isn’t useful in getting worthwhile policy enacted.
Obama has repeatedly cited comprehensive immigration reform as one of his priorities, but because Congress doesn’t want to work with him, it hasn’t become a reality since he’s been in office. He has still managed, though, to use the power of his office to make tremendous strides for immigrants. Most notably, when the DREAM Act—aimed at creating a path to citizenship for those brought to this country illegally as children—stalled in Congress, the president used executive action, directing the Department of Homeland Security to stop deporting those children-turned-adults, known as “Dreamers,” who have lived as upstanding citizens and instructing that they be issued work permits.
He later further pushed for a directive prohibiting the deportation of those who came here illegally but are the primary caretakers for small children. The exception to both of these exemptions: undocumented immigrants who violate criminal law.
Yet for some bizarre reason, immigration activists continue to operate under the illusion that by ridding our country of those who commit additional crimes, the president is somehow committing a crime against democracy. Many of these activists have labeled President Obama “the deportation president” while repeating the mantra that “Obama has deported more people than any other president.” Which is true, with 410,000 immigrants deported in 2012, compared with 116,000 in 2001.
But for me the question isn’t “Why is Obama deporting criminals?”—petty or otherwise—but, rather, “Why hasn’t he deported more of them?” Two new films about immigration highlight this particular chapter in the immigration debate perfectly. One, titled Deported, will air as part of Anthony Mackie’s AfroPop series on select television stations this Sunday. Another, called Documented, recently opened in theaters.
Source: The Root | KELI GOFF
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