Once again the White House is using rhetoric, misrepresentations and specious arguments to defend its rescindment of DACA. But then what would you expect.
To quote Fox News’ Shepard Smith,
“Why is it lie after lie after lie?,”
But first this:
It’s ironic that AG Sessions in his announcement to end DACA would say this,
No greater good can be done for the overall health and well-being of our Republic, than preserving and strengthening the impartial rule of law. Societies where the rule of law is treasured are societies that tend to flourish and succeed. Societies where the rule of law is subject to political whims and personal biases tend to become societies afflicted by corruption, poverty, and human suffering. (My emphasis in bold)
Are you fucking kidding me?! Trump’s pardon of Joe Arpaio was an horrific slap in the face to the rule of law and the federal judiciary. To use Sessions’ own words, the pardon was a “political whim… and personal bias…”
According to Trump, Arpaio was a “worthy candidate.” Bullshit. He is unrepentant. He has done NO jail time because he hasn’t even been sentenced yet. And interestingly, under the rue of law, by accepting the pardon, Arpaio admits to being guilty and waives his 5th Amendment right against self incrimination. And in so doing, he just opens the gate for a slew of more civil suites against him and the county. FYI he has already cost Maricopa County $40 million in civil settlements.
And now back to the topic.
Sessions: DACA is an “unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch.”
Wrong
Fact-check: This is Sessions’ opinion. The final arbiter of constitutionality is the U.S. Supreme Court, which has never ruled on DACA. Two legal challenges brought against the program, in the D.C. Circuit and in the Fifth Circuit, were both tossed out for lack of standing
Sessions: “The DACA program was implemented in 2012 and essentially provided a legal status for recipients for a renewable two-year term, work authorization and other benefits.”
Fact-check: DACA provides its recipients with temporary relief from deportation. As the Citizenship and Immigration Services website notes, “Deferred action does not confer lawful status upon an individual.”
Sessions: DACA is “unilateral executive amnesty.”
Fact-Check: Immigration amnesty is a blanket pardon to all the members of a defined class, such as the kind Ronald Reagan introduced in 1986. DACA recipients, in contrast, have to apply and be approved individually for their deferred action. They pay $495 in application.
Sessions: DACA “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those jobs to go to illegal aliens.”
This is probably the worst claim.
Fact-check: The Attorney General did not provide data to support this statement, which could fall into the realm of viewpoint rather than fact. Many immigrant, Latino, and business advocacy groups consider the idea of immigrants, in general, as “job-stealers” to be a myth. There is ample evidence from liberal, conservative, and non-partisan groups that DACA grantees provide an overall net benefit to the economy.
Sessions: “To have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, we cannot admit everyone who would like to come here. That is an open border policy and the American people have rightly rejected it.”
Fact-Check: It is unclear how this statement relates to DACA per se, as DACA grantees by definition are not seeking to come here. They are here.
The White House et al are getting very good at blowing smoke.
Another note: Former White House adviser, Steve Bannon said the Catholic Church is supporting DACA because they need the bodies to fill the pews in church.
What a bigoted, insensitive and irresponsible thing to say.
Souces: Politifact, NBC News