For much too long, President Obama has used immigration reform to pander to Hispanics, especially Mexicans.
The turning point was the summer of 2012 when President Obama went around Congress and implemented a version of the Dream Act. In other words, he couldn’t get Democrat majorities to pass some kind of reform. He was facing a lot of disenchantment from Hispanic leaders before the elections. So he opted “to fly solo” and implement a Dream Act by executive order.
Whether by design or mistake, the decision to protect the dreamers sent the message that kids north of the border would stay in the US or have special protection from deportation.
I remember talking to a young dreamer in Dallas who told me that the Obama plan would keep him in the US indefinitely. He was naturally very grateful to President Obama!
To be fair, President Obama never said come and you can stay. At the same time, that was the message that went south. President Obama never corrected the record or called on US ambassadors to make that point with the local media in Guatemala, El Salvador etc.
He never gave a speech defining his objectives and reminding everyone that his plan was for dreamers here not people who wanted to be dreamers living in Central America.
The net result is that we have refugee camps in the border full of kids, as Peggy Noonan reported:
“What is happening at the southern border is a true and actual crisis. News accounts justly use words like chaos, collapse and breakdown. They feature images of children—toddlers, 4- and 5-year-olds—being shuffled to warehouse holding centers, sleeping crowded at night on what look like pallets, covered only in Mylar blankets.“I never thought we’d have refugee camps in America,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, “but that’s what it’s appearing.””
President Obama would help himself, and the kids traveling to the US, if he would give a quick speech and tell everyone to stay home. He should remind the parents that their kids will be returned not granted any path to legalization.
It’s about time for President Obama to speak the truth and stop pandering for Hispanic votes. The pandering is putting kids’ lives in danger.
P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.
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