OPINION

DACA: Compassion Versus Lawfulness

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We have just witnessed a tale of two presidents. One President is adored by the media and sees government as Santa Claus, with a limitless bag of goodies to be given out. The other President, despised by the media, sees the United States as a land of opportunity and a land of laws in which people are expected to operate within the established legal framework of society to achieve what they want.

The one sees his job as the disburser of gifts to all those whose causes serves his political agenda, and the other sees his job as the executor of the Constitution and doing what is best for the whole of the American people.

The irony, of course is that the Santa Claus President is a Constitutional Attorney, and the President who sees his job as the caretaker of the rule of law is merely a citizen / businessman.

The lawyer, openly said that "...while considering what to do with Dreamers during his presidency, he asked Congress to send him a bill that would help address their future, but: "That bill never came."

That simply translates to, if the legally elected legislative body doesn't want to do something, he can act like a tyrant and order it done by himself.

Therefore, I am somewhat heartened by President Trump's willingness to allow an illegal executive action by his predecessor to fade into the sunset, assuming that the Congress does not intervene with some political chicanery and resurrect DACA.

But, while the Attorney General elegantly clarified the decision made by the Executive Branch, I am concerned that the President did not choose to say: that while he was a compassionate person, he was President and sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States; but, being a compassionate person, he has ordered that those who are registered in the DACA program, if they are juniors in high school or college or are finishing their graduate work, be allowed to stay until their high school, college or graduate studies are completed; and then at that time they are expected to return to the country of their birth.

I would have liked for him to have added that he hoped that these foreign born youngsters appreciated the opportunity for education they received at the expense of American Citizens, and that once they return to their countries of birth they will have the opportunity, if they so wish, to apply for legal immigration to the U.S.; and that because they have registered with the U.S. government, their unintentional illegal stay in the U.S. will not negatively impact their application; in fact, because they speak English and are educated, they will be in a better position to gain entry through the merit based immigration system that is being instituted.

I would like to hear some practical talk along with compassion and toughness.