Obama bypasses Congress with immigration orders

Staff/wire report

WASHINGTON

Spurning furious Republicans, President Barack Obama unveiled expansive executive actions on immigration Thursday night to spare nearly 5 million people in the U.S. illegally from deportation and refocus enforcement efforts on “felons, not families.”

The moves, affecting mostly parents and young people, marked the most sweeping changes to the nation’s fractured immigration laws in nearly three decades and set off a fierce fight with Republicans over the limits of presidential powers.

Not surprisingly, Republicans and Democrats of the area’s congressional delegation, in statements issued after Obama’s television address to the nation, disagreed over the president’s plan and whether he has the authority to take the action.

“By acting alone on immigration, the president isn’t just going around Congress, he’s going around the American people,” said U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

“If the president truly wants to fix our broken immigration system, he should work with the newly elected Congress — both Democrats and Republicans — on real reform including improved internal enforcement measures and securing our border,” Portman said.

However, his Democratic counterpart in Ohio’s Senate delegation, Sen. Sherrod Brown, said Americans think the U.S. immigration system is broken, and it’s past time that it be fixed.

“Democrats and Republicans came together in the Senate to pass a plan that would strengthen our borders, put American workers and businesses first, and create jobs,” he said. But because the House has failed to take action on this bipartisan plan, Obama, like his predecessors, must act rather than continue to break up families, he added.

“If House Republicans are concerned with President Obama’s actions, they should take up the Senate’s bipartisan bill instead,” Brown said.

Joining his support of the president in the House is U.S. Rep. Timothy Ryan of Howland, D-13th, who agreed that Obama was forced to take action because House Republicans have refused to allow passage of any comprehensive immigration bill.

“While Senate Republicans and Democrats passed an immigration bill over 500 days ago, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has refused to even have a conversation about this critical issue facing our nation,” Ryan said.

“There is no doubt that our country’s immigration system is broken, and I believe the best way to deal with these problems is to pass bipartisan, comprehensive legislation,” Ryan said.

But, he said, House Republicans have proved that they are not serious about immigration reform. The extreme right wing of their party will not even allow their leaders to come to the table to negotiate.

The Valley’s Republican counterpart in the House, Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, supports the Republican stance on the issue, contending Obama’s decision to act on his own and issue executive actions on immigration reform is contrary to the Constitution.

“The people’s representatives in Congress passed laws making it illegal for people from other countries to cross our borders and live here without permission. The Constitution is clear: Only Congress can make those laws, and only Congress can change them.” Johnson said.

Ryan, however, said the executive action is measured and will help level the playing field for all American workers — not just for those who are undocumented — by putting an end to employers’ hiring undocumented workers in an effort to pay lower wages and avoid providing benefits.

Obama defended the legality of his actions and challenged GOP lawmakers to focus their energy not on blocking his actions, but on approving long-stalled legislation to take its place.

As Obama addressed the nation from the White House, immigration supporters with American flags draped over their shoulders marched on the street outside carrying signs that read, “Gracias, Presidente Obama.”

Despite Obama’s challenge to Republicans to pass a broader immigration bill, his actions and the angry GOP response could largely stamp out prospects for Congress passing comprehensive legislation under the current administration, ensuring that the contentious debate will carry on into the 2016 presidential campaign.

The main beneficiaries of the president’s actions are immigrants who have been in the U.S. illegally for more than five years but whose children are citizens or lawful permanent residents. After passing background checks and paying fees, those individuals can now be granted relief from deportation for three years and get work permits. The administration expects about 4.1 million people to qualify.

Obama is also broadening his 2012 directive that deferred deportation for some young immigrants who entered the country illegally. Obama will expand eligibility to people who arrived in the U.S. as minors before 2010, instead of the current cutoff of 2007, and will lift the requirement that applicants be under 31. The expansion is expected to affect about 300,000 people.

Applications for the new deportation deferrals will begin in the spring. Those who qualify would be granted deportation deferrals for three years.