When Donald Trump ran for President in 2016, he repeatedly criticized President Obama for implementing DACA without going through Congress. In 2017, President Trump tweeted “Congress, get ready to do your job – DACA!”

Ironically, President Trump, who has made immigration a centerpiece of his political agenda, has almost completely bypassed Congress and continues to implement his restrictionist immigration policies by Executive fiat.

When he separates children from their parents, creates travel bans based on religion and Remain in Mexico policies for asylum seekers, rewrites the public charge rule and prevents large numbers of immigrant doctors and nurses from caring for the millions of Americans who are being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, he bypasses Congress and violates our immigration laws.

Dozens of his immigration policies have been struck down in the Federal Courts.

Prior to the current Administration, there was more agreement between the two major political parties on immigration policies.

When President Johnson signed the landmark immigration law in 1965, more Republican than Democratic Senators voted for the law.  Legislation passed by Congress in 1986 which granted amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants was supported by a bipartisan majority in Congress and signed into law by President Reagan.

When I testified before the Senate Immigration Subcommittee in 2001, Subcommittee Chairman Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) was clearly in favor of making it easier for foreign-born doctors and nurses to immigrate to America in order to provide health care for people living in medically-underserved areas. I worked together with his staff to draft such a bill. Eventually, he and Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced legislation that expanded the J waiver program for physicians which was signed into law by President Bush.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship. All information contained in this newsletter is generalized. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.