Marco Rubio, who's central to the GOP's own efforts to reform immigration (even though at odds with many in the party), puts out a statement, responding to Barack Obama's move on immigration.
“There is broad support for the idea that we should figure out a way to help kids who are undocumented through no fault of their own, but there is also broad consensus that it should be done in a way that does not encourage illegal immigration in the future.
This is a difficult balance to strike, one that this new policy, imposed by executive order, will make harder to achieve in the long run.
Today’s announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short term answer to a long term problem.
And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long term one.”
In other words, he's more ticked off on procedural grounds than policy grounds.
It's been noted that Obama's proposal bares similarities to Rubio's alternate DREAM act, but Marco was taking a more traditional tact -- meeting with lawmakers and activists on both sides of the aisle and trying to craft some sort of proposal that could get significant bipartisan support.
Barack Obama's move ignores that painful step in the process.
Conservative columnist, Matt Lewis (who favors Rubio's Dream Act and opposes Arizona's draconian immigration law), put it this way today.
I am convinced that America needs to have a serious national discussion about immigration reform. Short-circuiting the legislative process deprives us of that organic discussion. It also guarantees there will be no bipartisan consensus.
.... this does nothing to heal this nation, nothing to bring us together, and only serves as a short-term solution for immigrants when a long-term solution — one based on consensus, not political opportunism — was needed.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Chait recognizes the politics behind the move, but also the human stories animating it.
The most important thing is that some one million young people will now have a chance to live their lives in this country free of the terror that their parents’ actions (actions borne of nothing worse than a desire for freedom and opportunity) will not expose them to the horrors of deportation.
They may not be American citizens, but most of us consider them our fellow Americans, and can regard the measure of relief they now have gained with relief of our own, and joy.
