ordering immigration

Years ago I shared an apartment with a man name “Pepe.” “Shared” is a relevant term. More accurately, my friend — for whom “Pepe” served as a colloquial cognomen for a far longer name (necessitating significantly more advanced pronunciation skills) — gave me 100 bucks each month to camp on my couch.

Pepe was a Mexican citizen. His wife was expecting their first child. You should have seen his face in anticipation of that child… a quiet, gentle man — a man who looked only a known friend in the eye — his countenance shone unprecedentedly brightly when thinking of his future son.  Amazing… just amazing.  I was so touched by his hope… by his joy.

Pepe lived with me for those few months, away from his wife, as he worked two full-time jobs in South Florida in hopes of making enough money to pay for the baby’s birth. I have thought of him often as the immigration debate swirls — how he would have been affected. It helps me to think of Pepe. It helps me to think of that quiet, gentle man… a man who was unquestionably humble, never feeling entitled, a man who embraced hard work and never ceased to count his many blessings.

Last Thursday Pres. Obama announced that he was taking executive action in order to reform the nation’s immigration system. He will make law without congressional input. Here is a brief snapshot of the relevant facts:

• There is bipartisan support for immigration reform.
• A Senate-passed bill was never voted upon in the House.
• Many House-passed bills have never been voted on in the Senate.
• Partisans in both the House and Senate frequently blame the congressional body refusing to hold votes (… ahem… forgetting anytime one points a finger, four fingers point back at self…).
• Obama’s Executive Order halts deportations to undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who’ve resided in the country for at least five years. This affects four to five million people.
• Many could now receive work permits.  It’s uncertain how many will attain Social Security cards and thus qualify for other benefits.
• How it affects the economy is uncertain.
• Obama’s legal authority is uncertain.
• Obama previously said he does not have the authority to ”suspend deportations through Executive Order.”
• Obama denies any political motivation.
• The White House waited to announce their plan until after the midterm elections but before the new Republican majority in Congress convenes.
• The administration began planning this move nine months ago.

As posted previously, the Intramuralist believes our current immigration system is challenged by laws and an enforcement process which seem inefficient and inconsistent. This is a tough issue. Yet precisely because the issue is tough, I do not wish for any president to make unilateral decisions; I want the President to use Congress. I want them to work together. There is bipartisan support to do this well.

Pres. Obama’s unwillingness to wait until the new Congress convenes in a little more than a month tells me that there is some aspect in which Obama is not being transparent. He is utilizing Executive Order as a substitute for the hard work of governing. Executive Orders are the “easy way out” — easier because by bypassing Congress, an Executive Order also bypasses the time, respect, and humility necessary to listen, consider, roll up the sleeves and work with someone other than the likeminded… someone other than self. My concern is again the manifestation of an unprecedented, arrogant approach.

When thinking of immigration reform, it helps me to instead think of Pepe… a quiet, gentle, and undoubtedly humble man…

Respectfully…

AR