Leave Dreamers Alone, Ken Paxton, and You Might Actually Help President Trump

We’re no longer surprised when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton unnecessarily inserts his office into the middle of volatile issues facing this state and this country.And too often, we’ve seen him embrace the most far-right divisive stances that do little to accomplish his ends and nothing at all to bring Texans together.This time, he’s taken aim at the law that protects young people who were brought to this country without authorization when they had no say over what happened to them. He’s filed a multistate motion for summary judgment with a U.S. District Court asking that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, be declared unlawful. And he wants to stop the federal government from issuing or renewing any DACA permits in the future.Paxton’s motion is little more than grandstanding at a time when the American people — Republicans and Democrats — have sympathy for Dreamers. They include 800,000 people officially protected under the law and another estimated 1 million brought here before their 16th birthdays who have not qualified for DACA.And it’s bad politics that could hurt his fellow Republicans. Here’s how:This newspaper sees protecting these young people as a key part of a compromise between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Washington leaders on both sides of the aisle to avert the kind of stalemate that led to the government shutdown.Trump would get the funding he seeks to enhance border security, including 230 miles of physical barrier, but also technology solutions. In return, the president would agree to a sweeping deal to protect the Dreamers, many of whom have overcome poverty and language barriers to contribute mightily to their communities.  Continue reading...