The Dreamers

During the campaign Donald Trump acted as a demagogue on immigration issues. At one point he proposed rounding up and deporting eleven million people. He referred to illegal immigrants as rapists and drug dealers. He kept pushing the wall and insisted that Mexico would pay for it. Naturally this makes people suspicious whenever he takes action on immigration.

Yesterday the Trump administration announced the end of the DACA program. It offered protection to those illegal immigrants who came here as children (also known as dreamers). He could have killed it immediately but gave Congress six months to enact legislation. Obviously his action has been harshly criticized.

Although I am certainly no fan of President Trump, I think he did the right thing. DACA was created by President Obama with no legal foundation at all. States are threatening to sue the federal government. If they win, the program is finished. His action gives Congress the chance to save it.

Protecting the dreamers has wide bipartisan public support. We do need to reform our immigration system but that won’t happen in six months. Congress should pass a “clean” bill and the President should sign it. I sincerely hope he doesn’t hold it hostage to get funding for his wall.
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We are a country of laws, not men. President Obama seemed to be confused on that issue. Now we need to trust that Congress and the President will use the system as intended and do the right thing.
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