Immigration Inside the Law

7 Pages Posted: 29 Nov 2015 Last revised: 25 Jan 2016

See all articles by Josh Blackman

Josh Blackman

South Texas College of Law Houston

Date Written: November 26, 2015

Abstract

To many scholars, paradoxically, practical immigration law has little to do with actual immigration law. Professor Hiroshi Motomura, a leading immigration law professor, admits quite candidly that the “traditional distinction between Congress’s authority to make law and the President’s authority to enforce law — always a very imprecise line to begin with — has little practical meaning” for immigration enforcement. It is no coincidence that Motomura’s magisterial tome is titled Immigration Outside — not inside — The Law.

In this contribution to a symposium on Prof. Motomura’s Foulston Siefkin lecture, I contrast the disconnect between the professoriate’s view on immigration law and that of the Obama Administration. Specifically, I chronicle how the Office of Legal Counsel grounded the legality of Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (“DAPA”) in congressional acquiescence, rather than an unbounded notion of executive power. While I ultimately conclude that OLC’s defense of DAPA fails, at a minimum, its recognition of Congress’s persistent, if not quiet role in cabining executive discretion serves as a powerful refutation of the scholarly consensus of immigration outside the law.

Keywords: Immigration, Constitution, DAPA, OLC

Suggested Citation

Blackman, Josh, Immigration Inside the Law (November 26, 2015). Washburn Law Journal, Vol. 55, 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2695956

Josh Blackman (Contact Author)

South Texas College of Law Houston ( email )

1303 San Jacinto Street
Houston, TX 77002
United States

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