A Defiant Obama Authorizes Immigration Related Law Suits Against States

By Joe Guzzardi
October 18, 2011

During my recent trip to Washington, D.C., I heard the rumor—since confirmed—that President Barack Obama authorized his Justice Department to review immigration-related laws in Alabama, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and South Carolina. The states’ laws include mandatory E-Verify, confirming immigration status if arrested for certain crimes, penalties for harboring illegal aliens and other provisions with which most sensible Americans would agree.

In a laugh out loud statement about Obama’s reasoning, Justice Department spokeswoman Xochiti Hinojosa said:

“To the extent we find state laws that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law, we are prepared to bring suit. In reviewing these, the department is proceeding consistently with the process followed and the legal principles established in United States v. Arizona.”

The not-so-funny joke is Hinojosa’s reference to interfering “…with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law” which it has not done since Eisenhower.

Assuming the Justice Department sues the five states, Obama will have again demonstrated his remarkable and politically fatal disconnect with most Americans about their wish for tighter illegal immigration controls and less federal government intrusion.

Obama’s pending actions further reveal that he doesn’t understand how to mount a successful re-election campaign. Suing Alabama, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and South Carolina is likely perceived by Obama’s advisors as another chapter in his administrative amnesty/deferred action scheme to appease Hispanic voters.

But by blindly pressing on with his agenda to cater to the extreme left wing of his party, even though the American majority is slightly to right of center, Obama alienates the voters whose favor he most needs to curry, namely moderates. That’s the voting bloc that elected Obama in 2008 but are now turned off by his failure to create the promised 3 to 5 million jobs, Afghanistan, Obamacare, his immigration duplicity and a host of other transgressions. To date, the candidate who promised everything has delivered nothing.

A wiser man, especially one in as much trouble as Obama, would move toward the middle. But by staking so much of his future on the mythical “Hispanic vote,” Obama proves his political ignorance.

Savvy politicians understand their times and try to take advantage of the challenges they face. Obama on the other hand, foolishly still basking in the glory that surrounded his 2008 election, goes against the tide. With the country drowning in debt, he wants to spend more. During his 2011 State of the Union address, Obama spoke for 40 minutes before mentioning the deficit possibly because he didn’t want to bring attention to the fact that he had tripled it.

In 2010, when Americans sent a clear mid-term election message that they reject his policies, he proceeded undeterred. Obama largely ignored the financial collapse in Europe that set its leaders on an austerity drive. As for immigration enforcement that Americans clamor for and is one of the major topics of the Republican primary debates, Obama turned a deaf ear and instead circumvented the Constitution and released aliens targeted for deportation.

A little more than a year remains until November 2012, traditionally a long time in election politics. But as Obama keeps putting a wedge between himself and the mainstream, more and more Congressional incumbents will distance themselves from him. They realize that the closer they are tied to Obama, the less likely it is they will keep their jobs.

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Joe Guzzardi, a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow, has written syndicated editorial columns about immigration and related social issues since 1986. Contact him at [email protected].