DACA program solution is 10 years overdue
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is in court again, this time in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the Biden administration is appealing a U.S. District Court ruling that the Obama administration did not have the authority t
DACA was first established in June 2012 through an executive action, not through legislation. It granted work permits and protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
The legality of the program has always been in question, but it is also very much within the power of Congress to pass legislation that formally legalizes it.
Democrats had a majority in both the House and Senate when President Barack Obama was first elected and again when President Biden was elected, yet legalizing the status of immigrants who were childhood arrivals was not a priority either time.
President Donald Trump's administration tried to terminate DACA but was blocked by federal courts over procedural issues. However, in June 2018, Trump said he would sign legislation to codify the DACA program if it was paired with border security and immigration reform measures he supported. It didn't happen. In January 2019, Trump offered again to extend protection to DACA recipients in exchange for funding to build the border wall he supported. That didn't happen either.
The argument in Congress has long been about wider policy differences on immigration and border security.
Hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients are human pawns on this political chess board.
In the meantime, the courts have been saddled with lawsuits over both the legality of the program and the legality of the termination of the program.
The current case is a lawsuit brought by a number of states, led by Texas. The states won a lower court victory in July 2021 when United States District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that the Obama administration did not have the authority to enact the DACA program in 2012.
Hanen closed the DACA program to new applicants but allowed current enrollees to maintain their work permits and deportation deferrals while the Biden administration appealed his decision.
This editorial board has consistently argued for a congressional solution to this matter.
“Congress should not continue kicking a DACA fix down the road,” we argued in February 2018. “A permanent, legislative solution is what's needed, not more politicking and more litigation.”
It was obvious then and it's obvious now. Congress could pass a clean law to formally legalize the DACA program, and the president could sign it. Everything else is politics.
As of December 2021, there were 611,470 active DACA recipients. Many of them have only ever known of America as home and have no memory whatsoever of the nation they were originally born in.
It is unconscionable that both parties have failed in the 10 years since DACA was established to find common ground and offer permanent protections to DACA recipients.
It's not a difficult issue. The correct solution here is obvious. Instead of leaving this to the courts, Congress needs to do its job.
DA Gascón
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón's editorial, “As your district attorney, I will continue to fight hate” (July 14), clearly summarized that people of all races, cultures and beliefs are suffering from crime. He is right. Crime is hate. Yet due to his misguided belief that criminals deserve mercy before they are prosecuted we have a wave of perpetrators of all colors and beliefs having their way with our lives and property. Their hate is causing so much suffering for the citizens of Los Angeles County Gascón has sworn to protect.
Sups. proposed charter amendment to remove sheriff
Re “Sheriff's measure advances” (July 13):
The voters are going through a recall election to try to remove the DA, yet the Board of Supervisors wants to change the county charter to allow the supervisors (not even unanimously) to remove an elected sheriff. Why didn't they do this to remove the DA? What makes them think that they can usurp the will of the voters if they don't like the sheriff. Why just the sheriff, and not all elected office holders? If the sheriff does something that is a crime or against his duties as sheriff, charge him with the crime and see what the court says. To have a board, also elected by the people, remove an elected official because he doesn't see things their way is as unconstitutional as it gets. If the sheriff is doing something that is against the will of the people, as the current district attorney is doing, then it is up to the people to get rid of him. If he is doing criminal things, then let the court and jury convict and remove him.
Newsom's vacation
Re “Newsom's Montana trip: A yay or a nay?” (July 12):
Governor Newsom is completely justified to relax in the extraordinary state of Montana. Optically it was anything but a decent choice since Gov. Newsom has sights on running for president in 2024 or 2028.
When you compare this vacation scenario with his decision to have a family dinner at the exclusive French Laundry restaurant during COVID lock-downs, you can induce a little grasping on the character of the current California governor who feels he would be an ideal president of the greatest nation in the world. All voters should examine every policy action taken by Governor Newsom to move California forward whilst holding office, in my opinion he is just an average politician.
Climate change reality
The climate change alarmists are in full hysterics after the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution resulted in the reigning in of the EPA's empirical power (July 1).
Climate change is real, our planet's climate has always changed and always will, that is based on natural occurrences. For example, NASA has recently confirmed the coming of the next “Moon Wobble.”
This natural phenomenon will cause the tides to rise in our planet's oceans and seas significantly over the next ten years, no fossil fuels to blame here. Scientists have also attributed other cataclysmic climate change events throughout our planet's history to naturally occurring events.
All of the fossil fuel taxes and government regulations they can come up with will not stop these natural phenomena from happening.
I'm all for clean air and water but stop with the idea “We can prevent climate change from happening.”
Congress could pass a clean law to formally legalize the DACA program, and the president could sign it. Everything else is politics.
If Trump runs my vote will be for a Democrat
Re “Gauging the effects of the midterms” (July 15):
Countless editorials, columns, op-eds and stories have chronicled the failures of President Joe Biden, but none have taken into consideration the fact that most of us didn't vote for him because of who he is but rather because he was not and still is not Donald Trump and in my mind for that reason alone, he has been and still is a success.
Sure, I'd like to see the Democrats nominate a different candidate for 2024 but if the Republicans run Trump again, whoever the Democrats nominate will have my total support.