Utah’s GOP attorney general: Obama immigration move totally within his power

But in an interview with me just now, Mark Shurtleff, Utah’s conservative Republican attorney general, dismissed those objections, arguing the move was perfectly within Obama’s powers, good law enforcement policy, and even a “conservative” solution.
“This is clearly within the president’s power,” Shurtleff said. “I was pleased when the president announced it.”
Shurtleff, a Mitt Romney supporter who is a diehard conservative on many other issues, is perhaps the nation’s most prominent Republican staking out an alternative to the GOP’s hard line on immigration. His support for the president’s policy represents a larger split within the party, between those who see Arizona as a model for the nation and those who want the party to adjust to demographic (and related political) realities with another approach.
Republicans and conservatives have argued either that Obama did this by executive order or more broadly that ignoring Congress represents dictatorial rule by fiat. But Shurtleff rejected that view, noting that this decision was not made via executive order and that the administration has the discretion to decide whom to prosecute.
“Law enforcement makes decisions based on the resources available to them — until Congress acts, we’ll be left with too many people to deport,” Shurtleff said. “The administration is saying, `Here’s a group we could be spending our resources going after, but why? They’re Americans, they see themselves as Americans, they love this country.’”
Shurtleff added that the decision, by allowing children brought here illegally to go to school and work, could encourage them to stay out of gangs — which he called a “conservative” goal. He dismissed the claim that this would encourage further illegal immigration, noting that the president’s plan has a cutoff — you are only eligible if you came here before you turned 16 and are younger than 30, and have been in the country for at least five continuous years.
Asked to respond to the case made by some that this constitutes “amnesty” because it gives illegal immigrants the legal status they were trying to steal, he rejected it.
“You’re not giving [legal status] to the parents who came here,” Shurtleff said. “You’re giving it to the child who was brought here. That child didn’t get to choose.”


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...WUfV_blog.html

Great news!

In yo' face Romney!! Even people that supports you agrees with Obama!

Take it in the face!!! What it do do my dookie?

rawr!!! we're progressing really well

Romney is moderating, don't worry. I am pretty sure he understands he needs to liberalize now on immigration. The genius of Obama's move is that with that one policy change, he now has moved the immigration discourse back to the left for the first time in a decade. I'm interested to see the impact this has on SB 1070.

This is what I came to the conclusion as well. With this one move, Obama not only established the Latino vote, but also put immigration back on track after the complete bastardization from the GOP.

I agree totally, if I was Obama right now I'd try to push for a combination of a skilled immigration act with the dream act, along with allocated funds for greater border security. I think if you do that, you certainly have a winner on you and gain not only compromises from the Republicans, but definite great publicity. I am sure we will be seeing movement on this though. SB 1070's ruling is coming in a week or two, when it comes out, good or bad result, it will be a grand impetus to resolve the immigration crisis once and for all. Hopefully.