On immigration, a farce of debate
SAN DIEGO -- The immigration debate has always been flawed. But lately, as Washington has taken on a greater role, it has become farcical.Â
The debate is flawed because it is dishonest, lacks nuance, and offers simple solutions to a complicated problem.Â
It is farcical because, like everything else in Washington, it's driven by politics not policy.
Republicans in Congress don't have to do anything to fix our broken system, as long as they give the appearance of staying busy by thwarting the actions of others. A Democratic president -- who set records by deporting more than 2 million people in six years, then conned immigrant advocates into labeling him a hero by easing up on his own juggernaut -- can afford to be bad on immigration as long as his opponents are perceived as worse.
Which brings us to the moment at hand.
As the White House and Congress play chicken with a possible shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, a federal judge in Texas this week blocked President Obama's executive action delaying millions of deportations.
Republicans in Congress don't have to like the fact that Obama is trying to delay for three years the deportation of, for instance, undocumented parents with U.S.-born children, but they had better learn to live with it.
With the Islamic State killing Americans and making enemies all over the world, and while Islamic militants commit acts of terror from Brussels to Paris to Copenhagen, the GOP picked a dandy time to withhold funding for, of all things, the Department of Homeland Security.Â
If Congress doesn't pass a spending bill by Feb. 28, some DHS workers will likely be furloughed while others will be asked to work without pay. Morale at the agency will take a beating.Â
A new CNN/Opinions Research Corp. poll found that, if DHS were to shut down, Republicans would take most of the blame. Fifty-three percent of Americans would fault Republicans in Congress, while 30 percent would blame Obama. Another 13 percent would blame both.
...continued
Copyright 2015 Washington Post Writers Group
