Three Republican senators who assisted in the creation of the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was passed by the Senate last year, only to stall in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, yesterday warned President Obama not to try to enact reform via executive action.
Senators Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Marco Rubio have written a letter to the president in which they argue that any chance of a full immigration overhaul would be wrecked by him using his executive authority on the issue. “In this regard, acting by executive order on an issue of this magnitude would be the most divisive action you could take – completely undermining any good-faith effort to meaningfully address this important issue, which would be a disservice to the needs of the American people,” the letter states.
Senators Graham, McCain and Rubio believe the system of checks and balances in the constitution would be compromised by the president using his executive authority to force through the changes and that these changes should only be made by Congress.
Speculation is rife that Obama taking executive action on immigration reform would include an expansion of the methods by which immigrants can legally remain in the United States and also increase the number of new work permits and green cards. A number of Republicans have claimed that immigration reform would be more likely if the party seizes control of the Senate, which is a claim that has met with considerable skepticism from Democrats.