Civil rights issues today 193wanted to see actual evidence of discrimination rather than speculation that the law
could have a discriminatory effect.^115
The immigration system is widely viewed as broken and in need of reform, but
neither President Bush nor President Obama was able to get Congress to approve his
proposal to provide a “path to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants. Americans
are in favor of reform, but their level of support varies depending on the wording of
the question. In 2015, a Gallup poll showed that 65 percent of those surveyed said that
the government should “allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States and
become U.S. citizens but only if they meet certain requirements”; another 14 percent
said illegal immigrants should be able to stay without applying for citizenship, while
only 19 percent said they should have to leave the United States. A Pew poll also taken
in 2015 showed that 51 percent of Americans think “immigrants today strengthen our
country because of their hard work and talents” while 14 percent believe “immigrants
today are a burden on our country because they take our jobs, housing and health
c a re.”^116 In 2015, President Obama used executive orders to implement part of his
immigration policy (concerning the deportation of young adults who were brought
to the United States illegally by their parents and the deportation of the parents of
children who are citizens). The Supreme Court deadlocked 4–4 in a June 2016 case,
upholding the lower court’s ruling that struck down the executive order. More than
4 million immigrants had to await the results of the election. President Trump revoked
Obama’s executive order and, while Congress deadlocked on the issue, the courts
allowed the program to continue for those already enrolled. President Trump also
instituted a “zero tolerance” policy that led to the separation of thousands of children
and parents at the border. The policy violated a federal court order and was reversed,
though about 500 children remained in detention centers in late 2018.^117
The debates over affirmative action, English as the country’s official language,
and immigration reform clearly illustrate the conflictual nature of civil rights policy.
However, history has shown that when public opinion strongly supports a given
application of civil rights—for example, the integration of African Americans in the
South in the 1960s and, more recently, allowing gays to openly serve in the military and
recognizing same-sex marriage—public policy soon reflects those views. Although it is
impossible to say when there will be comprehensive immigration reform that includes
a path to citizenship, it is likely to eventually happen given the trends in public opinion.
However, the Trump administration’s efforts to move immigration policy in the
opposite direction mean that comprehensive immigration reform is probably off the
table until at least 2021.Despite President Trump’s threats of
deportation, hundreds of thousands of
undocumented immigrants continue
to cross into the United States each
year. They come seeking better
economic opportunities, or fleeing
crime, war, or other life-threatening
situations in their native country. Here,
border control agents detain migrants
from Central America seeking asylum.Full_06_APT_64431_ch05_148-197.indd 193 16/11/18 1:32 PM