President Obama is in an unenviable spot on immigration reform. He has said he will do by executive order what Congress has failed to do — offer protection from deportation to as many as 5 million people living illegally in the United States. But doing so carries large risks.
While the Star Tribune Editorial Board agrees that the changes Obama seeks are necessary, the president should delay his executive order. In the interest of passing more permanent, bipartisan reforms, giving Congress the chance to act within the next few months makes sense.
Given that the GOP will wield the majority in both houses come January, Republicans are flexing their new muscle, warning that they will fight Obama "tooth and nail'' if he opts to go it alone on the immigration changes. And though previous presidents of both parties have issued executive orders on immigration enforcement, Republicans argue that Obama's plans go further than earlier orders and exceed his proper authority.
That means a legal and political fight over executive action could consume precious time and resources, while the dysfunctional immigration system we have continues unreformed.
We recognize the current system's terrible impact on hardworking undocumented people and their families. Understanding their plight, many Americans agree that change is needed. Still, opinions are mixed about when and how it should be done. A new USA Today/Princeton Research poll found that 42 percent approve of Obama acting now to address immigration issues, while 46 percent say the president should wait for the new GOP-led Congress to pass immigration legislation.
Some exit polls on Election Day earlier this month showed that a majority — some 57 percent of Americans — favor legalization for many of the undocumented, while 39 percent favored deportation. Mass deportation is not the answer. An estimated 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants are in the United States — many of them working, raising families, and contributing mightily to the tax base and the economy.
Still, there is a split even within Obama's party over timing. On Monday, several Democratic senators asked the president to move ahead with an immigration executive order. By Tuesday, other Democrats asked him to wait until early next year — after they pass an omnibus spending bill.
Earlier this year, wiser GOP heads released a set of principles that held out the potential for compromise. In addition to allowing many immigrants to remain in this country lawfully, that plan would strengthen efforts (such as border security) to combat illegal immigration. The principles say the undocumented must "get right with the law'' — an important change from the "self-deportation'' theme some in the GOP have echoed in recent years.
