Still no progress

Barack Obama raised the hopes of millions when he announced as a candidate that immigration reform was going to be one of his top priorities; he promised it would be one of the first subjects he tackled.

Well into his third year, Obama has done little to address the issue, and growing numbers of Americans are becoming disillusioned.

The Immigration Policy Center recently issued an evaluation of Obama’s first two years with respect to immigration, and states the obvious: "The Obama Administration faces numerous immigration challenges — many of its own making."

The center’s "Second Annual DHS Progress Report" notes that even within the Department of Homeland Security, people showed "great enthusiasm" in their expectations that they could shift away from deportation-only policies, and work toward real reform of our outdated immigration laws. "But a disturbing tendency has taken hold that relies on enforcement-driven strategies as a way to prove that the Administration is sufficiently enforcement-minded and can therefore justify its support for comprehensive immigration reform," the center states in a summary of its findings.

Millions of Americans, especially here in South Texas, are directly affected by our disjointed immigration policy and the president’s inattention to reforming it. Their disappointment could spur action in the next two years. If, as the 2012 elections approach, Obama continues to show disinterest in fixing our flawed immigration system, they just might decide to look for someone else who will.