Millions of people are waiting with bated breath to see what action the President will take to reform the nation’s immigration system. In the end, regardless of what action is taken, complaints and criticism will be aplenty. Those who support liberal immigration reform that would allow all undocumented immigrants to simply fill out a form and receive permission to work and travel will be disappointed with whatever strings or conditions are attached to the legalization proposal. Immigrants who have worked in the US for years in H-1B status for instance, would find it unfair that those who had no status at all will be allowed to work for any US employer, at any wage, while their immigration status remains tied to the whims of a single employer. Of course, the extreme right will be unhappy with doing anything short of deporting the estimated 11 million undocumented persons who currently reside in the US.
Although there is a great deal of speculation about what the President will do if and when he announces the executive order he promised by the end of 2014, no one knows for certain at this point. Probably the president himself is still working with his aids on last-minute amendments to a draft executive order.
IMHO, the President should be bold and take whatever actions he has the legal authority to, so long as they are consistent with his promises and what he sincerely believes is best for this country. Not everyone will be happy, but Obama’s job is not to make everybody happy. Any action that affects this many people on a financial, emotional and political level is bound to have naysayers. Some of this resistance is theatrics. Television and conservative radio talk shows may condemn any legalization for ratings, government workers who are paid to deport the undocumented may be concerned with job security, and the GOP may want to find a way to get the issue behind them before 2016, ideally without voting on it – so they may complain loudly, yet secretly hope the President acts.
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