The Congress has been under the firm hands (lol) of McConnell, Boehner and Ryan for the past six and 1/2 years. What say you to that?
I say that you are incorrect...unless you think Harry Reid is a Republican.
You're wrong. Congress has kicked the can down the road since Reagan signed off on amnesty. Obama turned around at the border those attempting to enter the US, and did not engage in the tactic Trump employed, i.e. breaking up families.?
The Immigration Bill of '86 was a bipartisan effort to address illegal immigration with conditional amnesty and tighter border security along with employer penalties. The amnesty happened, the rest did not. So the problem grew.
You are right that the issue to address those here illegally has been kicked down the road - 'bi-partisanly'. Bush tried in 07 -that plan was biipartisanly rendered and bi-partisanly rejected. Those who rejected were of two camps - one thought it would go the path of the bill of '86 and reward lawbreakers, others thought it too harsh/restrictive.
We have the right as a nation, to know who is here, that they are here legally, and to approve those who want to come. Something like 40% of illegals are visa overstays...there is no excuse for ignoring that. We can have a welfare state or we can have open borders, we cannot have both. I don't lock my doors at night because I hate my neighbors...
Obama had a rare chance to push through the immigration reform of his choosing, he chose not to. Why?...because his own party didn't want it (or it just wasn't that important to him at the time). Obama did not follow the letter of the law any more than any other president - he skirted around it. Do you know the easiest way to address illegal immigration?...make it 'legal'. Anyway, Obama was only the latest bad actor in the play.
As on another thread - compassion sells, money legislates. There are people in high places, in both political parties who directly or indirectly benefit by cheap labor, gratuitous votes and/or the control over public money.