To reduce deportations, change immigration law: Our view

With implacable House Republicans blocking a sensible overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, Hispanic groups and religious organizations have set their sights on an interim goal. They want President Obama to ease up on deportations.

The political case for such a move is a slam dunk. The Latino electorate more than doubled between 2000 and 2012 and is growing by roughly 2 million every four years. Many of these voters are dismayed by the pace of removals, which have been running near 400,000 per year. A group of religious leaders representing immigrants went to the White House on Tuesday to press the case directly with Obama, whom the head of the National Council of La Raza recently termed the "deporter in chief."

By slowing the pace of deportations, Obama could reach out to a vital Democratic-leaning constituency while also sticking it to Republicans for their intransigence on comprehensive reform.

But if the political case is compelling, the practical and legal one is not. The people being deported are in this country in violation of the law. Many have committed additional violations unrelated to their immigration status. While there may be good reasons for allowing some to stay — because they contribute to the economy or have minor children who are citizens, for example — the way to do this is by changing the law, not by ignoring it.

The sort of comprehensive overhaul that has already cleared the Senate has always rested on a two-pronged compromise: a rigorous path to legality for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the USA, combined with tough enforcement to discourage future waves of illegal immigration.

A move now to curb deportations would upset this delicate balance, just as House Republicans' enforcement-only or piecemeal approach would give many conservatives fewer reasons to support broader changes.

Something similar would happen to groups on the left should Obama act. A moratorium on some or all deportations is not the same as a path to citizenship. But it would still take some of the urgency out of the reform effort.

Executive action to enforce existing laws less vigorously would also serve as a green light to those thinking about coming here, or staying here unlawfully, again weakening the case for reform. This is a particular concern now as demographers see increasing efforts at illegal immigration as the U.S. economy rebounds faster than many in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Obama is taking heat from the left, which points to the heart-wrenching stories of children who have lost a parent to deportation. He is also taking heat on the right from groups that say the deportation figures are inflated by border apprehensions not counted by previous administrations.

The president has tried to enforce the law while also being practical and humane, such as by carving out protections for certain immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought to this country illegally when they were very young children.

So far, Obama has struck a reasonably good balance. The last thing he should do now is go soft for political reasons.

USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature.