They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...
's administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to uphold White House measures shielding up to four million undocumented migrants from deportation.
Thrusting the country's top court into the role of arbiter in a emotionally charged political debate, the Justice Department said it would challenge lower court rulings that blocked Obama's efforts to reform immigration policy.
A year ago, Obama tried to bypass Congress by ordering government agencies to focus on deporting serious criminals, rather than undocumented immigrants who live and work in the United States.
Republicans and Democrats agree that sweeping immigration reform is long overdue, but bitterly disagree about how to do it.
Conservatives -- in the throes of the 2016 election cycle -- reacted furiously, saying the president had effectively granted amnesty to people who broke the law by entering the United States illegally.
They also argued that Obama had gone well beyond his executive powers, prompting governors of 26 US states to take up the case.
A federal court in Texas in February ruled in their favor -- putting the program on hold and prompting a White House appeal, which failed on Monday.
In response to that "adverse ruling," the Department of Justice said it "intends to seek further review from the Supreme Court of the United States."
There are nearly 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, but only an estimated four million would qualify under Obama's orders.
Obama's appeal to the Supreme Court could mean that he is unable to enact the reforms before 2016 elections.
If the Supreme Court does not take up the case before then, it is sure to become a major point of contention during the election campaign.