A shameful lawsuit

Deferred action for youths brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents has stirred up criticism among those who are politically opposed to the idea. However, the lawsuit against the Obama administration was filed by people trying to protect their jobs deporting others.

Of course, the lawsuit filed in Texas by a group of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents does not say this. The agents, backed by their union, claim that the Obama administration’s decision puts them at a crossroads: being unable to fulfill their duty to deport undocumented immigrants pursuant to a 1996 law and if they enforce the law, they would be disobeying orders.

We think the conflict can be easily resolved by obeying the orders of their superiors, which follow the guidelines of the current administration. Every citizen has the right to question laws, but the decision to file this suit disguises political and labor interests as patriotic respect for the law.

The Border Patrol agents union has for years openly opposed any measure that is not punitive toward the undocumented. Their interest is transparent and limited; the more people who are deported, the higher the number of agents needed and the budget. As a result, the union’s influence increases.

The political part becomes apparent when the attorney representing them is Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, author of Arizona’s SB 1070 and immigration advisor for Mitt Romney, the presumed GOP presidential candidate. It is no coincidence that this is an election year.

The Border Patrol union became prominent in the immigration debate during the administration of Terence J. Bonner, who led this organization for more than 20 years. Bonner today stands accused of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds.

We think the Border Patrol already has enough work with the extensive U.S. borders it guards and the internal control of its staff, like those who abuse immigrants or engage in illegal activities, and leaders suspected of stealing from the membership.

This lawsuit is shameful because of the persons filing it, the attorney representing them and the fallacious argument of wanting to defend the country, when all they want is to protect their jobs.