“For the past 27 months, everything Trump has “accomplished” on the immigration issue is either a “draft” regulation or a new policy that was instantly blocked by a federal court injunction. It’s time for Trump to publicly acknowledge that he is completely helpless on the immigration issue”
That is simply not true (ridiculous actually). But it is what the Left wants us to believe.
Six executive orders, and the National Security Strategy of the United States have re-oriented the Federal Government to better secure the border and control immigration, in a thousand ways. Far to many changes have been implemented to list, but some that come off the top of the head are:
The so-called “muslim ban” is in effect, cutting off legal immigration from Somalia and other problematic countries. The “Wait in Mexico” policy for non-Mexican asylum claimants is now in effect (as are the overwhelming majority of the new Trump Administration policies and regulations), despite the legal challenges. The largest classes of immigration judges ever have been graduating. Armed with new standards and procedures (which are in effect), they stopped the backlog of immigration cases from growing for the first time in decades.
Budgets have grown markedly for border security and immigration control. We are in the process of the biggest border barrier building program in US history (in dollar terms and in terms of the total mileage planned), and the largest US border security technology program as well.
Two National Emergencies have been declared, and are in effect. The first authorized sweeping asset seizure powers, against human traffickers, the second authorized re-programming $6.7 billion for border barrier.
Foreign aid has been cut off to three countries (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras), solely over immigration. Mexico has been compelled (through the threats of border closures and tariffs on their auto industry), to establish a new police cordon across the narrowest part of Mexico (between Chiapas and Oaxaca), to block future caravans (http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3744504/posts )
Thousands of Military troops have deployed to the border to support the Border Patrol. Approximately 200 miles of concertina has been emplaced, as well as Ports of Entry being hardened against caravan-style mass rush tactics.
Far from helpless, President Trump has been the most determined and effective President for securing the border and controlling immigration, at least since Eisenhower. Legislative changes are the job of Congress.
Thanks for sending me a White House Press Release.
Trump doesn't need to change the law - he needs to enforce existing law.
Trump has just one quantifiable achievement on immigration - he reduced UN Refugees from 80,000 per year to 30,000, which is still the highest in the world.
On almost every other significant immigration metric, Trump is within plus or minus 10% of Obama’s numbers.
On several metrics, he is dramatically worse than Obama.
The number of backlogged immigration cases have increased by 200,000 under Trump.
And, Trump has expanded the OPT work visa (a surrogate for H-1B) from less than 250,000 to more than 300,000.
Among other sins, Trump never disclosed that his border policy was “Catch and Release” from Day One of his Presidency. If not for the Mexican Caravans, we still wouldn't know that was happening.
Trump's campaign promise to implement Universal E-Verify was utterly bogus. Nothing has been done, and Trump's DHS was performing fewer Form I-9 work place audits than Obama did, until the Mexican Caravans ripped the cover off that negligence, too.
Trump essentially begs the Democrat Party to file injunctions against his policies. When they do, Trump sends pro-immigration career DOJ lawyers into court to defend his case. Their pleadings are pitiful. No passion, no conviction, and no urgency. Everything - including the alleged Muslim ban - will still be in court when Trump leaves the White House.
The Constitution and Congressional statutes give Trump extraordinary powers and discretion on immigration issues.
But he refuses to use them or defend them.
Bottom Line....
80% of new immigrant citizens vote for the Democrat Party.
In a democracy, when you get out voted, nothing else matters.