The Carroll Standard

Obama's "Illegals" Political Stunt

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Most Americans believe in the "rule of law." The highest law in the land is the Constitution. All elected representatives from the President on down swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Once again, the President violated the Constitution, federal law, and his oath of office by creating a new law of providing amnesty for illegals. The problem with this so-called executive order from the President is that he does not possess the power to create new laws. The balance of powers section of the Constitution clearly commands that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government retain the authority to create and review legislation.

The President's fiat providing amnesty rights to illegal aliens by allowing them to acquire work permits circumvents the Congress and violates the Constitution and the Federal Immigration Act. This political stunt initiated in an election year cries out for immediate impeachment hearings and a preventive federal lawsuit. Congressman Steven King of Iowa, the Chairman of the Immigration Reform Committee, has announced that he will launch a federal lawsuit to stop Obama's reckless executive order.

From a practical point of view, the President's actions will seriously hurt American workers. Twenty-four million people are underemployed in this nation and 43% of the unemployed have been collecting benefits for more than 6 months. With a stroke of a pen, Mr. Obama has generated 1.5 million new work permits to people who are in our country without lawful presence. The result is 1.5 million jobs will be stolen from Americans. This illegal action is designed to promote his re-election at a time when we are suffering a "jobs depression" which he has been unable to resolve are unbelievable.

Mr. Obama's law was not processed in a deliberate fashion with review by the House and Senate, which causes many dangerous events to unfold. Since the illegals are now eligible to work, are they eligible for unemployment benefits? Will employers be forced to provide them with healthcare? What happens to the State and local counties like Anne Arundel which have strong laws against illegals being employed? Where is the justice for those employers who have been heavily fined or imprisoned for employing illegals in the past? How do the federal government and those states which now utilize the E-verify detection system continue to operate and still comply with the President's executive order? Will the illegals receive minority hiring preferences over American workers? Yes, Mr. Obama's thoughtless political scheme has opened up a "can of snakes" which always happens when a politician ignores the "rule of law." The Obama administration makes Richard Nixon look like a boy scout.

The good news is that Mr. Obama's miscalculation will not only generate his defeat on Nov. 6, 2012, but also the demise of the Maryland Dream Act which will be on referendum at the same time.

Del. Pat McDonough (R) serves in the Maryland House of Representitives