This Tuesday, at a speech in Chicago meant to celebrate President Obama's recent executive action on immigration, Obama was once again heckled by amnesty activists demanding he do more to stop deportations. You can watch the spectacle below:
But didn't Obama just grant executive amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants? Isn't that enough?
No.
Amnesties do not solve problems. They only create more amnesties.
The problem is particularly acute for Obama because he has twice now said he would not unilaterally halt deportations only to later cave.
First, he said he did not have the power to enact the DREAM Act by executive fiat. Then, after pressure from activists and hecklers, he relented and announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012.
Then, he said he that was the limit of his power. When asked by the National Council of La Raza if he would halt deportations further, Obama said, "That’s not how our democracy functions. That's not how our Constitution is written."
But after pressure from activists and hecklers, he relented and announced the Immigration Accountability Executive Action last week.
The problem with both DACA and the latest amnesty is that they have no limiting principle. If Obama has the power to give work permits to illegal immigrants who were brought to this country as children, then he also has the power to give work permits to the parents who brought them here. There simply is no legal principle limiting Obama's power to one group.
And that is why amnesty activists will continue to heckle Obama and will begin to heckle Hillary Clinton when she begins making public appearances too.
If Clinton becomes president and House Republicans again refuse to pass amnesty, will Clinton act unilaterally like Obama did and expand on his two amnesties?
Remember, when Obama first announced DACA in 2012, the cutoff date for entering the United States was 2007. Last week he upped that date to 2010. Will Hillary up it to 2014 if she is elected? Will she protect the parents of DREAMers where Obama didn't?
You can bet amnesty activists will demand these answers and they are not afraid of interrupting speeches to do it.
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