Obama's Paradoxical Deportation Policies: Cyrus D. Mehta

"The President must no longer fear doing something big and consequential on the immigration front.  Some may justifiably fear that if the President ameliorates the plight of undocumented people through administrative reform measures, another President can quickly undo them; and therefore it is best for Congress to enact immigration reform.  Administrative remedies are clearly no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform passed through Congress, but it would be hard for a future President to undo wise administrative reform measures that provide a fix to a broken immigration system.  For example, DACA benefits have already been granted to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who have been able to graduate from college and find jobs.  It would be politically imprudent for a future President to undo DACA.  Indeed, S. 744, the bipartisan reform bill that was passed by the Senate, incorporates DACA and places DACA recipients on a faster track to permanent residency.  If President Obama implements bold administrative measures, it would be difficult for a future administration to undo them, and it is likely that a future Congress will have no choice but to readily adopt them into law." - Cyrus D. Mehta, Apr. 6, 2014.