This is the Hegelian Dialectic in action. Our leaders created a problem (unchecked immigration) and have let it fester for decades until half of the country begs for massive state overreach to correct it. Take a step back. This is state overreach, but why did they let immigration get this bad?

The need for urgent immigation reform has been a campaign topic since i was a child. Mostly for Republicans, but not exclusively. Occasionally there were attempts to actually pass immigration reforms, but they were routinely blocked, again mostly by Republicans. Democrats focused mostly elsewhere.

But they're all guilty of this: Instead of fixing problems, they want them to fester, so they can be used as easy campaign points. Trouble is, the people get skeptical when a campaign point is never actually legislated. So they either solve a problem, or escalate the rhetoric for the next cycle.

Immigration, as we know, hasn't been solved. It also hasn't simply gotten worse, if we look at statistics, it ebbs and flows with world events. But the rhetoric around it has continually escalated. In the absence of real reform, quick-patching via executive action has been the only response.