The White House’s recent executive action on immigration doesn’t change any law or grant anyone citizenship. Yet it’s been hailed by liberal advocates as a victory and “bold” step toward comprehensive reform. Conservatives, meanwhile, have branded the move “unconstitutional” and have threatened to thwart it in court.

In reality, Obama is simply promising to allow some immigrants who “play by the rules” to finally “get right with the law” — under a legal regime built on the systematic abuse of some of the most disenfranchised people on American soil. The measure may provide short-term relief from deportation for millions, but a majority of the undocumented are left out. Their communities will remain under siege from a discriminatory legal system and a xenophobic political establishment.

Obama’s reprieve mirrors the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that since 2012 has offered work authorization and deferral of deportation, renewable every two years to unauthorized immigrants who came as children. The new measure promises similarly limited relief for several million parents of citizens or legal-resident children — on the condition of five or more years of residency, a background check, and payment of taxes — and also expands eligibility for the current DACA program.