Immigration reform divides people at both ends of the political spectrum. Although there is broad national consensus to secure the border, the specifics of how to do that, what to do with illegal immigrants living in the United States now, and how to reform the immigration process elicit varied opinions. However, one thing all Americans should agree on is that legislating should be left to the legislature, not the executive branch.
After what can only be described as a shellacking of Democrats in the midterm elections, President Obama now plans to craft a new policy alone. Immigration policy may be a divisive issue among conservatives who seek to balance securing borders with securing the American dream, but this sort of unilateral executive action in creating legislative policy rightfully draws unified opposition. The president’s defense of this infringement on the separation of powers was as honest as it was anti-constitutional: “I’m going to do what I need to do.”
