The decision by President Obama to delay releasing the results of the review of the deportation policies of his administration has been described as political folly, with many of his most ardent supporters viewing it as a betrayal.
The immigration reform community has reacted with great displeasure, with the biggest youth-led immigration organization in the United States, United We Dream, viewing his action as “cowering” to Republicans in the House of Representatives while showing “complacency and willingness to deport more than 1,100 people every day and separate countless families, cementing his legacy as the deporter in chief”. The Dream Action Coalition’s Erika Andiola says she is “appalled” by the move, adding that families continue to be deported while this waiting takes place.
Even the editorial board of the New York Times has slammed the decision, expressing open skepticism about Obama’s desire for Republican legislators to actually do their jobs and saying that more people are continuing to live in fear of being caught up in the Obama administration’s deportation machine. Ironically, some House Republicans are not thrilled with the decision either. House judiciary member Bob Goodlatte has complained that setting a time limit after which the president threatens to take executive action is not going to make the process any easier.
“The president really wants to maximize the opportunity to get a permanent solution enacted, which requires Congress,” claims Cecilia Munoz, the White House Domestic Policy Council director. The president’s refusal to use his legitimate powers to stop immigrant deportations is now losing him friends.