United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in the latest display of weak and cowardly leadership (or lack thereof) by President Trump and his White House, announced Tuesday the administration’s plan to end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
The fate of approximately 800,000 “Dreamers” is now in the hands of arguably the most dysfunctional Congress this country has seen.
DACA was implemented as an executive action by the Obama Administration to protect the lives of undocumented young immigrants who were brought here by their parents. Those who voluntarily registered for the DACA protections were granted legal permission to study, work, pay taxes and contribute to our economy.
To be eligible, they needed to enroll in school, work or join the military and be clear of a criminal record. Many of these Dreamers came to the United States as young children, and know no other country than America and our values.
While a law passed by Congress would be ideal to protect Dreamers, it’s probably not the best idea to rely on a legislative body that hasn’t agreed on this issue for the last 16 years.
Trump is passing the buck on one of his greatest moral obligations (to protect the economy and those who contribute to it) by deferring action to a Congress that can’t unite to pass any common sense legislation. DACA is an opportunity for the President to exercise his executive powers when Congress fails to do theirs.
When a 2013 bipartisan immigration bill failed to make it out of Congress, President Obama realized that this was a responsibility he should take on, stating “when Congress refuses to act … I have a moral obligation as president to do what I can without them.”
Trump lacks the courage and integrity to do the right thing and enforce the protections under DACA.
America currently has a president that has acquiesced all moral authority and responsibility in order to maintain the support of his shrinking base. He gives no regard to the vast majority of Americans, including religious, business and academic leaders who strongly support DACA.
We should now remind ourselves of the words of the late Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel: "You who are so-called illegal aliens must know that no human being is illegal."
Republicans, your time to do the morally right thing is now. As unlikely as it may be, let’s all hope Congress can come together on this issue and protect the innocent lives of nearly a million people who want nothing but to contribute to this nation. Now is the time to show the Dreamers and the rest of the world who we, as Americans, truly are.
Alex Jackson is a sophomore studying strategic communications at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you feel about the ongoing DACA debacle? Let Alex know by tweeting him @alexjackson716.
