Good For Arizona

Today is the first full day under president Obama's new (and illegal) executive order that permits illegal aliens to avoid deportation for the next two years if they meet certain prerequisites. These folks have to have come to the USA as children prior to being 16. They can have no criminal record. They have to either be in the military or in college. Those are the essentials.

Obama, in essence, has amended the immigration law by executive order. That is something that the president cannot do. NO PRESIDENT CAN DO THAT. Only Congress could change the law. But Obama made his announcement and it will undoubtedly take the courts months or years to wade through this dispute to undo the mess Obama is creating with his illegal order. That will surely take Obama past the election and he hopes to gain many votes from Hispanics as a result of his actions.

Today, since the Obama order is now in effect, Governor Brewer of Arizona issued her own order. She made clear that Arizona will not issue drivers licenses or offer other benefits to the illegal aliens who fit the Obama requirements. In other words, even though Obama is making these illegal aliens safe from deportation, they will not be able to get welfare or other social benefits at the expense of the Arizona taxpayers.

This is a wise move. The last thing that we need as a country right now is another benefit to lure illegal aliens to come here. Jobs and benefits ought to be for citizens and legal immigrants. There are millions of people with green cards who followed the rules and came here legally and fairly. They clearly deserve full rights. But those who came illegally should not get benefits. Indeed, it is particularly offensive for Americans who are hurting economically to suddenly have to fund benefits for illegals just so that Obama can improve his chances for re-election. Obama has spent trillions of dollars of other people's money. Governor Brewer deserves credit for making sure that Obama cannot spend Arizona's.