As DACA Renewals Announced and on One Year Anniversary of Steve King Vote to Defund Program, Polling Shows Why Obama Administration Should Build on Successes of DACA
In polling analysis that should embolden the Obama Administration to use their existing authority to deliver broad executive relief, the Washington Post highlights an array of recent polling that demonstrate that Americans are hungry for action on immigration. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post’s “The Fix” political blog writes:
Obama’s worst issues aren’t ones on which the American people disagree with him; they’re the ones on which Obama has failed to deliver on something on which most Americans agree with him…
…On both issues [immigration and gun control], the public is on the same page as Obama. So why in the world would these be among Obama’s very worst issues? Because he hasn’t delivered.
In each case, Obama has seen support from Democrats fall off as he has been unable to achieve his policy objectives. In fact, according to the CNN poll, 42 percent of Democrats disapprove of Obama on gun policy, along with 67 percent of independents. On immigration, 34 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of independents disapprove. The president’s approval ratings on these issues was never high, but in both cases, it trended upward as he tried to do something about them — the push for new gun restrictions last year and his 2012 executive order halting deportations for young illegal immigrants — only to fall to new lows today.
Few things could demonstrate better that, for a two-term president, being right isn’t sufficient. You need to get results.
The Post’s analysis arrives as we reach a series of anniversaries and new developments on immigration this month. Today, the Obama Administration announced details about the renewal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA not only changed the lives of 600,000 young immigrants who are Americans in all but paperwork, but also changed the course of the 2012 elections, helping to spark renewed enthusiasm for President Obama and Democrats and draw a sharp distinction between the parties on immigration during an election year.
Tomorrow, June 6th, will be the one year anniversary of House Republicans passing an amendment from anti-immigrant extremist Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to defund the DACA program and subject DREAMers to deportation. Showing that they haven’t learned from the past, House Republicans last week passed another anti-immigrant amendment from Steve King, who added insult to injury by referring to the DACA program as “Deferred Action for Criminal Aliens.”
With DACA renewal set to begin, and in unfortunate acknowledgment that House Republicans continue to let Steve King drive their policy and define their party, the Obama Administration should build on the DACA program’s successes and use that program as a foundation for broader affirmative reforms that President Obama should pursue under his existing executive authority, should House Republicans continue to block legislation. Such executive action would be supported by the American people, as the Post highlights, while energizing frustrated Democratic voters ahead of the midterms and, most importantly, changing more lives along the way.