On Friday, President Obama unilaterally changed immigration policy by announcing that illegal immigrants younger than 30 and who entered the U.S. before the age of 16 do not face deportation and can legally obtain work permits. Arizona Rep. David Schweikert is fighting back with a new bill that would block funding needed to implement the policy change. Schweikert says this is necessary because Obama’s decision does “violence” to the constitutional mechanics of the country. He says every member should be appalled at the precedent of a president changing a law without action from Congress. The congressman says he’s spoken with several Democrats who see Obama’s actions as a really bad precedent, but they will grin and bear it because they want to win in November. Schweikert says Obama should have worked with lawmakers trying to change immigration policy through the legislative process. In addition to the constitutional threat, Schweikert fears what the legalizing of 800,000 new young workers will mean for a dismal job market and a jobless crisis among young people. Some Republicans fear a major GOP backlash to the Obama directive could bring devastating results among Hispanic voters in November, but Rep. Schweikert says we have to tell the truth about the impact this Obama decision has on the role of the Constitution.
