Guest Editorial:
La Opinión
Republicans celebrate while the immigrant community feels utter disillusionment.
A Texas judge ruled in favor of 26 states led by the GOP, opening the door to deportation for hundreds of thousands of “Dreamers” and preventing millions of parents living in this country from working without fear of being expelled.
This is a triumph for those who believe that exploiting and deporting undocumented people is a priority. We cannot ignore the fact that this represents a defeat in the debate on presidential power. Aside from humiliating President Obama, the ruling destroys the future of millions of people.
This is a victory for those who think — based on fear, stereotypes and ignorance, — that legalizing the status of undocumented people will drain the U.S. treasury. They think the same way California ex-governor Pete Wilson did 20 years ago. They will also suffer the same backlash.
This court decision has emboldened the Republican majority. The ruling would normally give a rest to the Department of Homeland Security’s budget dispute, since it allows Republicans to break out of the current gridlock by leaving that decision in the hands of judges. On the contrary, today more than ever they are set on tying the fate of the budget to the elimination of executive actions.
This is the time for Latino voters to take a look around them and see who is celebrating this ruling, who denounces it and who looks the other way. There is no middle ground here or room for benevolent interpretations.
The human reality cannot be hidden behind supposed legal excuses. Republican legislators and governors are the reason there will be more people deported, and that “Dreamers” who have integrated to society to contribute with their labor are once again on the brink of expulsion.
The impact of this verdict is temporary, as there is still much to resolve, but the indignation it has provoked and the animosity against those who promoted it and are now celebrating will remain for a long time. We cannot forget those soulless and ignorant people who believe that they are doing the country a favor by destroying working families.
