Supreme Court kills Obama immigration policy

[Jim Lane]

23. Thanks for your kind words, but I somewhat disagree with your follow-up

You write that "the next president will decide the issue via Supreme Court pick...." Actually, the next President's first decision will be whether to continue the Obama policy. The next President could get back from the Inauguration and, later that day, rescind Obama's directive and order full speed ahead on deportations. That would moot any lawsuits that were then still pending. Nothing would ever get back to the Supreme Court.

If, instead, the next President decides to continue Obama's policy, we can't assume that a new Justice of the Supreme Court will vote to uphold it. An honest judge might oppose a policy but find it constitutional, or, what's applicable here, might think that the President's action would do more good than harm but was nevertheless beyond the President's powers. Supreme Court appointees have notoriously disappointed the expectations of the President who appointed them.

The only lasting solution is comprehensive reform legislation. Who knows, perhaps a thumping GOP loss in 2016, even if the Republicans hang on to diminished majority in the House, will terrify them enough to induce them to approve something.