[subsaharancoder]

Is there any reasonable explanation why the previous administration, which controlled both the house and senate albeit for a short period + won 2 terms, didn't make any meaningful progress to overhaul the process and make it merit based?

[huy-nguyen]

The Democrats spent all of the period when they had supermajority in the senate and majority in the house barely being able to pass the affordable care act (and subsequently sustaining great political damage for that). After Scott Brown replaced the late Ted Kennedy, almost everything was subject to filibuster and it became really hard to do anything substantial. Comprehensive Immigration reform came close in 2013 (in the wake of the 2012 republican presidential election loss) and was passed bipartisanly in the senate but died in the republican-controlled house.

[muzaffarpur]

This. Democratic party never intended to pass DACA. All the wanted was to create shock waves and funny how that turned out. If President Obama wanted to legislate DACA, he would've done in his first term. He made sure to to get elected twice and in last term, he chose to introduce DACA. It is clear form last election voting, that majority of America doesn't want DACA. Doesn't matter how much news outlets push for it. All democrats wanted was to polarize their base. They're no different from DJT.

[akhilcacharya]

The house killed immigration reform in 2013 that passed the senate by overwhelming bipartisan margins. Blame Cantor and Boehner.