On June 30, 2014 President Obama stated that he would try to “fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress.” The statement was a response to John Boehner who told Obama that the House would not vote on immigration this year. Obama, in his statement, said that “America cannot wait forever for them to act,” and has consequently started to take action. Already he has ordered his Cabinet to find ways to take action by the end of summer. Out of these recommendations, he plans to choose the best which will then be implemented.
As of right now, Obama has refocused immigration enforcement assets from the interior of the country to the border. He also spoke of deporting non-Mexican children who crossed the border alone back to their country of origin. However Republicans have condemned all of these actions. House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, has threatened to sue Obama because of his executive actions. Fellow Republican, Representative Lamar Smith, agrees saying, “If the president insists on enacting amnesty by executive order, he will undoubtedly face a lawsuit”. At first thought, this might seem justifiable. However by delving deeper and looking into the facts one will see that this debate is merely a political battle.

For example, Smith’s statement has nothing to do with what Obama is pursuing. Amnesty implies that these immigrants will be pardoned and allowed to live here without punishment. What Obama plans to do thus far is to deport these people faster.

Also in regards to Boehner’s threat to sue Obama, it is clear that the lawsuit would
be built while disregarding the past. For one, Obama has actually issued less executive orders than the last four Presidents. According to a graph from Brookings Institution, the average number of executive orders issued per day is less than .2 for Democrats and about .25 for Republicans. Obama falls far below both these numbers with an average of .1 executive orders per day.

If that is not enough, President Bush has issued many executive orders that are questionable at best. Executive Order 13438, allows the federal government to freeze the assets of anyone who threatens the stability of Iraq. This includes, those who pose a “significant risk of committing” a future act of violence. This order clearly goes against the Fifth Amendment, which states that private property cannot be taken by the government without due process.
While all of this is going on, the problem still rages. Thousands of children are held in detention centers, where they must wait until their trials are able to be held. The detention center oftentimes lack the resources needed to accommodate the needs of the hundreds of children living in the center. Children in the detention center are forced to go to the bathroom in front of other people and sleep in cells with dozens of other children. Not to mention that hundreds of children from South and Central America are still attempting to reach the border.

Looking at all these facts, it becomes clear that the debate concerning immigration reform is now a political battle. No matter what Obama does, Republicans will continue to criticize him. However if he does nothing, the problem will only continue to worsen. Unless the Republican-controlled House does something, Obama will have to act alone.