OBAMA LEGACY: Immigration stands as most glaring failure

[webfact]

OBAMA LEGACY: Immigration stands as most glaring failure
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours after the Supreme Court sent his immigration policy into legal limbo, President Barack Obama huddled around a long conference table in the Roosevelt Room with disappointed activists. The president looked out at familiar faces, some teary. It had been a long and tough fight, Obama said, and he had taken some beatings — even from supporters who "whupped on me good."

He believed his policies would prevail, according to participants in the meeting, but said it was now up to voters and the next president to take up the baton.

And with that, Obama delivered his version of a concession speech on a fight that has frustrated him like few others, roiled the campaign to replace him and is certain to test his successor.

When Obama leaves office in January, immigration overhaul will stand as the most glaring failure in his 7 ½-year effort to enact a vision of social change. Despite two campaigns full of promises and multiple strategies, Obama imposed only incremental, largely temporary changes on the immigration system. He leaves behind an outdated and overwhelmed system, with some 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally.

Behind that failure, Obama's legacy will be judged by a sometimes contradictory mix of policies — some aimed at bringing immigrants "out of the shadows," others at removing them from the U.S.

He will be remembered for protecting 730,000 young people, a generation of so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. as children. Advocates and allies will credit him with embracing a newly aggressive assertion of executive power that, despite the court deadlock and political opposition, remains a legal pathway for the next president. And he will go down as a leader who consistently defended the importance of immigrants in American life, as anti-immigrant sentiment swelled up in parts of the U.S. and abroad.

"Immigration is not something to fear," Obama said last week. "We don't have to wall ourselves off from those who may not look like us right now or pray like we do, or have a different last name."

"What makes us Americans," he proclaimed, "is our shared commitment to an ideal that all of us are created equal, all of us have a chance to make of our lives what we will."

But Obama also will be remembered as a president who prioritized other issues, missing perhaps the best chance to pass sweeping legislation and only reluctantly adjusting his strategy in the face of firm opposition.

And his administration aggressively enforced current laws, deporting more than 2.4 million people. The total is nearly as many as his two predecessors combined.

"His strategy early on was to prove his enforcement bona fides," said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, an immigration advocacy group, who once labeled Obama the "deporter-in-chief."

"He was facing an unprecedented, highly personalized opposition from Congress," she said. "We fault him, I believe correctly, for failing to recognize soon enough this intransigence by Congress and failing to use his authority sooner."

__

If evaluating Obama's record is a matter of tallying two columns — in one, the number of people he protected from removal; in the other, the number deported — the Supreme Court went a long way last week toward tipping the ledger toward the latter.

With its 4-4 tie, it thwarted Obama's last chance to shield up to 4 million people from deportation. The decision left in place an injunction freezing his 2014 executive action, which expanded his protection of Dreamers and temporarily protected some parents of people with legal status.

The deadlock, resulting from a Republican blockade against Obama's Supreme Court nominee, left the constitutionality of the action unsettled. But it had a significant impact on Obama's legacy.

"If the Supreme Court had ruled in his favor, he'd probably be remembered as the person who helped to protect half of the undocumented population in the country, which probably would have been a turning point toward reform sooner rather than later," said Frank Sharry, founder of the immigration reform group America's Voice. Instead, he said Obama will be most remembered for his administration's "record number of deportations."

The White House rejects a by-the-numbers analysis. Work to modernize the border and bring new order to a chaotic deportation system isn't necessarily conveyed in the calculation, officials argue.

The administration overhauled the role of local law enforcement. In 2014, the president declared the administration's limited resources would be focused on removing threats to national security and public safety and recent arrivals. Deportation has decreased since. Last year, the administration deported the fewest people since 2006.

"Devising that approach and implementing it has fundamentally changed the way laws are enforced and has had a real impact on communities," said Cecilia Munoz, the president's chief adviser on immigration. "That's a very, very big change. That's a large piece of the legacy."

It is a piece of the legacy that remains controversial. Prioritizing recent arrivals inevitably means targeting some of the women and children who have been fleeing violence in Central America. A series of Christmastime raids last year revived complaints about the policy from Democrats and immigrant advocates. The White House has shown no sign of backing down.

__

Could Obama have charted a different course on immigration?

Entering office during an economic crisis, Obama focused on stimulating growth and reforming the financial sector. Then there was his massive health care legislation. Along the way, he broke a campaign promise to back overhaul legislation on immigration in his first year.

It was 2011 before Obama endorsed a set of reform principles. By then, Democrats had lost control of the House and the best window for passing a bill had closed.

With Latinos, a key political constituency, restless ahead of his re-election bid, Obama announced his first executive action to shield Dreamers in June 2012. He made a new law a top priority of his second term. Although the Senate passed legislation, the GOP-led House refused to vote on it.

"Republicans never gave him credit for the actions that were taken both in terms of security on the border and deportations that did occur," said Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona who backed the Senate bill but opposed Obama's executive actions. "It was a more robust program than Republicans ever gave him credit for. But no good deed goes unpunished in this political environment. The narrative was kind of set and it was furthered by the actions that he took."

After claiming he did not have the authority, Obama bowed to intense pressure from advocates and announced a second executive action in November 2014. He'd waited until after midterm elections, concerned he would damage prospects for senators in tough races. Democrats lost the Senate anyway and the move revived Republican charges of unconstitutional overreach. More than two dozen states eventually signed on to a court challenge that froze the program.

Still, allies cast Obama's about-turn as a game-changer. Future presidents almost certainly will try to flex similar authority to work around gridlock on Capitol Hill. Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has promised to go further than Obama.

"He has rewritten the playbook and added several pages to it on what the executive can and should do. There's a lot of room there," said Angela Kelley, an immigration expert at the Center for America Progress. "Is that necessarily the best way? No. But it is legal, and it is smart and strategic."

Whether the courts agree will help shape Obama's legacy.

Resolution isn't likely until after he leaves office.

Clinton would likely pick up where Obama left off in pushing to address the status of the millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

If Republican Donald Trump prevails, Obama's effort could end up as another painful, close-but-not-quite moment. Trump has proposed building a wall along the border with Mexico and barring Muslims from the U.S.

"The finish line has been in sight for a very, very long time," said Munoz, a veteran of legislative battles over immigration. "It is only a matter of political will."

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Associated Press reporter Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.



-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-01

[ezzra]

If there was a list of the worst US presidents, Obama will be up there near the top, the man is way too PC,

prolific appeaser and his platform was to distance and disengage the US from all it's former powers and glory,

by kowtowing to Muslims, Arabs nations, Iran, Cuba and other countries that still and very much so hates

everything about the US and what it's stands for,

He will be remembered as a non starter, a black guy who didn't do crap for his own people, never minds others,

the only people who loves him are the hoards of queue jumpers, back door illegals

that thanks to him,

Go away Mr. Obama, the sooner you go, the quicker the bad memories of you will fade.....

[Trouble]

The problem with his failed policies is his inability to compromise and see the argument on the other side. The more he dug in his heels the more the Republicans dug in so nothing got done. There was a simple solution the the matter. Strengthening the boarder as the conservatives requested and setting a date that any arrivals after a certain date be sent back, no exceptions. Illegals convicted of crimes get deported. Agree to those things and then try and reach a compromise for both republicans and democrats on what to do with those already here. Make amnesty for some contingent on the unemployment rate, etc. There were certainly ways of dealing with a portion of the illegals if not all and reaching compromise. Even many conservatives do not think it is possible to deport all illegals even if that is expressed as political fodder for the masses. The unwillingness of the liberals to set a point of not tolerating the continued illegal immigration to me has been the sticking point all along. Policies of bring in refugees, etc. only adds fuel to the fire over immigration. As much as it would be nice to help all the poor of the world by allowing them to resettle in prosperous countries in the end only creates havoc. How can Obama ask the American people to take on endless immigration with so many on unemployment, food stamps and any number of other social programs.

[Boon Mee]

Legacy?

Heh, his legacy in 4 words: Worst President in History.

Jimmuh is a happy man.

[shirtless]

I think the ME is his biggest legacy he has really screwed up there

[ddavidovsky]

Still nobody seems to understand this topic.

Politicians have discovered that immigration is the surest road to sustained growth. They won't admit it, and they may not even like the idea of immigation, but they need cheap labour because they need sustained growth to retain their political power. They have therefore devised means to let immigration happen, often surreptitiously, and to protect (to some degree) those who are allowed to slip in by whatever means. Hence all the current hand-wringing (in the UK too) about immigration.

The first step to resolving this issue is to understand it. In the first place that requires plain-speaking politicians - these seems to be emerging. Then it requires a consensus that some growth can be sacrificed for the sake of preserving culture and security (the former is more of an issue in Europe, the latter in the US). That is a taller order, but there will come a point when culture and security is more important than having more money in your pocket and, arguably, that point has been reached some time ago.

[Laughing Gravy]

From the man who promised to close Guantanamo and still hasn't. Also the man who had the audacity to tell the UK to stay in the EU, who openly allow free migration the man is a clown. The man who brought the Obama care which is a farce.

The man who was to bring change brought nothing.

[mopar71]

When Obama leaves office in January, immigration overhaul will stand as the most glaring failure in his 7 ½-year effort to enact a vision of social change".

The Social Change he should have made was not among non-Americans entering the country illegally, but within the poor, African-American communities.

I had high hopes that Obama, as the 1st black president (even if being 50% white and 50% Kenyan and raised in Hawaii is not typical to 99.9% of African Americans), would bring about the most social change in poor, black inner-city communities.

I thought the kids would have a fantastic roll model to look up to instead of rappers and flawed athletes.

That the kids would see that school can pay off, that they too can be successful if they study.

That they wouldn't be shamed by others for carrying books home from school or speaking the English language correctly (which is sadly called "talking White" in their communities)

Think of all the homicide (over 50% is black-on-black), riots, and other crime in the inner-cities that continues today. Obama could have been the bridge to a better future for them.

Instead, Obama would shirk any responsibility to the communities he once organized, saying that he was president for all Americans and not just one segment on it. Well, ALL Americans stand to benefit if the poor, inner-city blacks get more educated & employed rather than killing each other and rioting.

[gyrosman]

Just think 4 more years of the same with Gold SPOON girl Clinton, she has the average person in mind right.

[Chicog]

Yes, blame Obama for at least making an effort to solve the immigration condundrum.

Not the GOP, who have consistently failed to put an immigration bill to the vote, even when there is a Bipartisan one on the table.

The blame for the lack of progress on immigration lays squarely on their shoulders - they are too spineless to upset the teabaggers.

I'm sure Obama will be disappointed, but when you are dealing with a House as useless and universally unpopular as this one, he should not blame himself.

Hopefully the voters will rectify the situation come November.

[212Roger]

If there was a list of the worst US presidents, Obama will be up there near the top, the man is way too PC,

prolific appeaser and his platform was to distance and disengage the US from all it's former powers and glory,

by kowtowing to Muslims, Arabs nations, Iran, Cuba and other countries that still and very much so hates

everything about the US and what it's stands for,

He will be remembered as a non starter, a black guy who didn't do crap for his own people, never minds others,

the only people who loves him are the hoards of queue jumpers, back door illegals

that thanks to him,

Go away Mr. Obama, the sooner you go, the quicker the bad memories of you will fade.....

Obama's immigration plans failed; unfortunately, all his other plans didn't. It is not necessarily bad if a President doesn't do anything. Look what a mess Obama has caused. Also, the less laws passed, the more freedom we(The People) retain.

[212Roger]

Legacy?

Heh, his legacy in 4 words: Worst President in History.

Jimmuh is a happy man.

YES! The worst President since Wilson.

[mike324]

Won't say he was the worst president, just that he tried to please everyone and wanted to become the cool president...immigratoin is no easy thing to solve, espeicially with the millions of illegals that were already there when he was president. I don't think deporting millions is the solution like his opposition was pushing.... its simply not possible too. Obama just didn't compromise enough with his immigraiton policy hence it hanged in the limbo for years making no progress

[Crowes]

Won't say he was the worst president, just that he tried to please everyone and wanted to become the cool president...immigratoin is no easy thing to solve, espeicially with the millions of illegals that were already there when he was president. I don't think deporting millions is the solution like his opposition was pushing.... its simply not possible too. Obama just didn't compromise enough with his immigraiton policy hence it hanged in the limbo for years making no progress

With Obama it was always a call for compromise or common sense (as if he has any), and then the next sentence out of his mouth would demean the people he was trying to compromise with. It's was almost childish. The great divider and chief is one of the better names given to him over his presidency. He set race relations back a good ways too.

[ggt]

Obama came to Washington...by telling the American people a pack of lies...promises he never intended to keep and has failed on the most elementary level at his job as President of the United States...

His main job is to be Commander and Chief of the Military (he has fired all but a handful of "yes-men" Generals...has used the military as a social engineering experiment for gays, lesbians, and trannies..and had allowed the military to fall into to disrepair, disarray, and lowered the manpower...He has been a dismal failure in this regard...

Along with being the Chief or the Military to secure the American people...he is supposed to be the driving force behind securing our boarders...those borders that he has encourage hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to enter the country...provided them with safe-haven cities so he could illegally fund their new free life-style...while the border patrol has been ordered to stand-down and allow them to cross unmolested...the head of the agency estimates that more than a thousand terrorists have entered the country thru the US's Southern border undetected...

His "BIG" claim to fame...is his pushing thru Obamacare...without the consent of Congress...and without the Constitutional authority...many people have insurance now...many more are either out of work or their hours have been cut so the company does not have to carry their insurance...the burden on the American people...both by higher insurance payments and deductible going up and quality of service going down...has been devastating...

Everything that comes out of this man's mouth is politicized...or racists...or divisive and intrusive in some way...he has no clue...

He champions the ones he likes...and demonizes the very people who elected him into office...his ever action seems to protect Muslims...at the expense of Christians...

He has little respect at home or abroad...

Good bye and good riddance...

[Buzzz]

I think the ME is his biggest legacy he has really screwed up there

You never heard of GWBush I guess?

[Buzzz]

Actually Obama deported more than any other president.

Look it up.

[mrwebb8825]

Yep, he failed. He deported 2.4 million who were probably reported on by the 4.5 million he promised could stay so he could make room for 3 million of his muslim buddies.

Clinton, who has always hated that she had her butt kicked by a black man (given her true southern roots) and forced to kiss his black behind just to stay close to DC, is now thinking that she's going to get in there and prove how much better she is at circumventing the law. America be damned - Long Live Me! should be her true campaign slogan.

[Buzzz]

Yep, he failed. He deported 2.4 million who were probably reported on by the 4.5 million he promised could stay so he could make room for 3 million of his muslim buddies.

Clinton, who has always hated that she had her butt kicked by a black man (given her true southern roots) and forced to kiss his black behind just to stay close to DC, is now thinking that she's going to get in there and prove how much better she is at circumventing the law. America be damned - Long Live Me! should be her true campaign slogan.

U huh. I didn't know that. He kicked out the Mexicans to make room for his Muslim buddies.

That's right. I almost forgot, he is an illegal alien, Muslim loving terrorist himself.

[mopar71]

People on the Left like to portray people against illegal immigration as white racists.

Well, a lot of African Americans are not happy with the special treatment given to illegal aliens.

Some are angry that while their kids go hungry Obama welcomes illegal alien children giving them better homes, etc...

Here is another one with a variety of opinions...

and more....

[Buzzz]

People on the Left like to portray people against illegal immigration as white racists.

Well, a lot of African Americans are not happy with the special treatment given to illegal aliens.

Some are angry that while their kids go hungry Obama welcomes illegal alien children giving them better homes, etc...

Here is another one with a variety of opinions...

and more....

"Some are angry that while their kids go hungry Obama welcomes illegal alien children giving them better homes, etc.."

U Huh. Probably heard that on FOX.

Actually, Federal Law states an illegal alien is entitled to emergency medical care only.

Obama has deported more illegals than any other president. Are you getting it now?

Fact is, more are leaving than arriving.

[Buzzz]

AAF examined Trumps plan to deport 11.3 undocumented workers.

The personnel and infrastructure implications of removing all 11.3 million illegal aliens in a two-year time frame. In order to remove all illegals, each each one would have to be apprehended, detained, legally processed, and transported to their country of origin.

In order to remove all illegals in two years, the U.S. government would have to expand each of those stages of the removal process.

The current annual budget for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, $13.5 billion will need to be increased to $225billion. Total program costs =$550

This does not include the costs of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies dealing with apprehending, detaining and processing illegals on a daily basis.

• Federal immigration apprehension personnel to increase from 4,844 positions to 90,582 positions;
  
• The number of immigration detention beds to increase from 34,000 to 348,831;
  
• The number of immigration courts to increase from 58 to 1,316;
  
• The number of federal attorneys legally processing undocumented immigrants to increase from 1,430 to 32,445; and
  
• A minimum of 17,296 chartered flights and 30,701 chartered bus trips each year.
  

[Chicog]

• A minimum of 17,296 chartered flights and 30,701 chartered bus trips each year.

What about ships? You can get a lot of people on ships.

They might actually queue up at the prospect of a nice free cruise home.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Chicog