Republicans who are against President Obama’s executive action on immigration reform say that he overstepped his presidential executive authority. They started to attack his plans soon after he addressed the nation on November 20. Republican lawmakers say that the can pass an immigration reform bill but they first need to stop the President.
House Speaker John Boehner said that the President’s immigration plan has sabotaged chances for a bipartisan immigration reform legislation. He said that the House Republicans will fight the action of Obama on immigration. According to Boehner, Obama’s plan will encourage more foreigners to illegally cross the U.S. border. He said that the Americans want both, the Democratic and the Republican parties to work together to fix America’s broken immigration system. He said the President has acted unilaterally without the consent of the U.S. Congress and also ignored the will of the Americans.
Rep. Raul Labrador stated that the Republican Party would pass a reform legislation but not what President Obama is asking for. He added that the executive action, just like the other new regulations, should have to go through a public comment period. Texas Tea Party Sen. Ted Cruz said that the President has not legal authority to do what he is now doing. Gov.-elect Greg Abbott (R-TX), stated that Obama’s actions are unilateral and that he is planning to file a law suit against him.
Though there is a lot of opposition, immigration activists and immigrants who will benefit from Obama’s immigration plan are applauding it. That is because his announcement will allow more than four million immigrants to apply to stay in the U.S. temporarily without being deported. At the same time, Democrats say that their focus is on passing their own comprehensive reform bill, a reform bill they have been urging the members of the House to pass since the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013.