“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled mases yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (Lazarus). Many people recall this poem by Emma Lazarus when deciding the United States’ position towards immigration, but does this perspective reflect the recent sentiments of the White House under our current president? This was a heated topic for debate during Obama’s term as president, which brought to light many stances on the subject and was even reviewed by Supreme Court. Today, I would like to discuss the details of Obama’s reform plan, the sides of whether it was considered good legislation or not, and my own personal take on the
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In Obama’s speech he mentions how he attempted to work with congress but they would not allow for a simple vote on his program. So “until that happens”, Obama stated, “there are actions” he has “the legal authority to take as President…that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just” (Obama). This was his reason given for executing his Executive Branch’s discretionary authority on immigration. Is this allowed without Congress’ approval? According to an article in the Congressional Digest titled, “The Obama Administration’s Immigration Action” it states that “Article I of the Constitution expressly grants the power to legislate to Congress, and Congress has exercised this power as to immigration, in part, by enacting the INA” (“Immigration Action” 14). The Immigration and Nationality Act, or INA, established an outline of rules for immigrants to be allowed in the country and it included ways to enforce the rules, however, “the INA expressly or impliedly confers some discretionary authority on the Executive Branch in matters of immigration enforcement” (“Immigration Action” 14). Another article in the Congressional Digest titled, “Legality of Obama’s Immigration Initiatives” shares more on this topic when it states:
Such discretion has generally been seen as an …show more content…
Williams found in the Canadian Review of American Studies titled, “Immigration and National Identity in Obama’s America: The Expansion of Culture-War Politics” which revealed some information I thought was really interesting. It mentions:
Until fairly recently, immigration was often not a national issue but mainly a regional one in areas with higher numbers f immigrants. Public political concerns about immigration have emerged when (1) there are economic pressures or national-security ‘events’ that spread anxiety or fear; (2) there are highly visible immigrant ’others’ around whom suspicions of threat can be raised, particularly when those others belong to groups easily ‘racialized’; (3) and when a political group or groups are in a position to benefit from making immigration and issue. (330)
I think with recent terrorist national security events it has made “immigrant others” more visible along with heightening people’s worries about new immigration
In Obama’s speech he mentions how he attempted to work with congress but they would not allow for a simple vote on his program. So “until that happens”, Obama stated, “there are actions” he has “the legal authority to take as President…that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just” (Obama). This was his reason given for executing his Executive Branch’s discretionary authority on immigration. Is this allowed without Congress’ approval? According to an article in the Congressional Digest titled, “The Obama Administration’s Immigration Action” it states that “Article I of the Constitution expressly grants the power to legislate to Congress, and Congress has exercised this power as to immigration, in part, by enacting the INA” (“Immigration Action” 14). The Immigration and Nationality Act, or INA, established an outline of rules for immigrants to be allowed in the country and it included ways to enforce the rules, however, “the INA expressly or impliedly confers some discretionary authority on the Executive Branch in matters of immigration enforcement” (“Immigration Action” 14). Another article in the Congressional Digest titled, “Legality of Obama’s Immigration Initiatives” shares more on this topic when it states:
Such discretion has generally been seen as an …show more content…
Williams found in the Canadian Review of American Studies titled, “Immigration and National Identity in Obama’s America: The Expansion of Culture-War Politics” which revealed some information I thought was really interesting. It mentions:
Until fairly recently, immigration was often not a national issue but mainly a regional one in areas with higher numbers f immigrants. Public political concerns about immigration have emerged when (1) there are economic pressures or national-security ‘events’ that spread anxiety or fear; (2) there are highly visible immigrant ’others’ around whom suspicions of threat can be raised, particularly when those others belong to groups easily ‘racialized’; (3) and when a political group or groups are in a position to benefit from making immigration and issue. (330)
I think with recent terrorist national security events it has made “immigrant others” more visible along with heightening people’s worries about new immigration