President Obama delays immigration action – again

Although immigrants have supported the President and his party in elections, he has broken promises again and again when it comes to acting on their behalf. When he was first elected in 2008, and both the Senate and House of Representatives were in Democratic hands, he chose to focus his efforts on the economy and the Affordable Care Act instead of immigration. Then the Republicans won control of the House in 2010, and they have opposed almost all legislation he’s supported. The Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform in 2013 with bipartisan support, but it’s gone nowhere in the House. In 2012 the President announced the DACA initiative – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – which granted a two-year reprieve for many who were brought to the U.S. as children (aka Dreamers) and gave them work permits. This was a big deal, and we applaud him. We also note he announced this a few months before Election Day for himself in November 2012; many thought the timing was politically motivated to bolster his own re-election campaign. President Obama has always acted in his own self-interest; it would be good to see him show the same zeal on behalf of immigrants.

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