Washington Democrats: A Lawless Minority

In February, Texas U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen issued an
injunction favoring twenty-six states that challenged President Barack
Obama’s November, 2014 executive order deferring deportation for two
categories of illegal aliens and expand the 2012 deferred deportation
program Obama unilaterally declared for illegal aliens who arrived here as
minors.

The court injunction raised a point of law questioning the president’s
authority to take non-legislated action on immigration matters.

On April 6, 2015, 181 House Democrats filed an amicus brief with the 5th Circuit Court urging the court to lift the injunction and confirm the executive branch’s authority to make policy changes on amnesty for illegals.

The brief’s signatories included all five Pennsylvania Democratic
Representatives and every member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In their brief, the Democratic lawmakers insisted that enforcement of
immigration laws and the deferral of deportations is – or should be – within
the discretion of the president and claimed that the White House is better
able than Congress to determine how to modify existing, duly-legislated
immigration laws.

The Court considered arguments and, on April 7, continued to block
the Obama administration’s non-legislated immigration
policies permitting discretionary (read: "mandatory") delays of deportations
for millions of illegals.

The administration’s critics assert that Obama’s actions go beyond
discretionary non-enforcement of immigration laws, that they illegally grant
intrinsic, unauthorized benefits and rights to illegal aliens.

Not only would illegals receive benefits, they will take American jobs.

The national unemployment rate among young blacks is 35 percent
– worse in high-immigration areas such as Chicago, where the Urban League estimates young black unemployment at an astonishing 92 percent.

A January poll found that 58 percent of registered voters oppose the president’s actions which would block deportation of perhaps 4 million illegals, compared to 36 percent who support it. The poll doesn’t mention Obama’s decision to bypass Congress, but focuses only on the president’s policy by asking, "Do you support or oppose Obama’s executive
action?"

Among blue-collar workers, 62 percent oppose it, while 32 percent support
it, a nearly two-to-one margin. By 71 percent to 21 percent – a 50-point
margin – Americans would support new legislation "that strengthens the rules
making it illegal for businesses in the U.S. to hire illegal immigrants."

Likely voters are nearly unanimous in support of immigration
policies that protect American workers. Most want Obama to work with
Congress rather than act unilaterally.

President Obama has proven his dedication to general amnesty for illegal
aliens. He is committed to the point of nullifying and even breaking the
law. And congressional Democrats are so desperate to legalize illegal aliens
who they believe will become more Democratic voters that they’re willing to
cede to the president the constitutional powers entrusted to their own
branch of government.

For modern congressional Democrats, gaining and holding power trumps
American law, jobs and the interests of their party’s traditional core
constituencies: blacks and blue collar workers.

But, if Democrats think immigration lawlessness will restore their
congressional majorities, they misunderstand voters’ messages from the 2010
and 2014 elections.