CHICAGO – (ENEWSPF)—November 20, 2014.
“I praise President Obama for his bold announcement on immigration this evening. I’m very grateful that he has decided to use his legal authority to protect families in my district and around the country who want nothing more than to keep their families together and work hard to achieve the American dream.
The President’s decision will keep many families from being torn apart – allowing parents to know that they can go to work and come home to their children without fear of deportation. Too many families are separated for years on end. Too many children are growing up without one or both of their parents. I have seen little children holding onto their parents’ legs and crying in fear that their mother or father will be deported and taken away from them. As a first-generation American, I understand what many in our country know to be true – immigration reform is about families.
Everyone concedes that our immigration system is hopelessly broken. Only Congress can address the problem in a comprehensive way. The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill more than 500 days ago, but Republican leadership has refused to allow a vote on the bill. If Speaker Boehner had been willing to bring this bill to the House floor, I am convinced it would have passed.
I strongly commend President Obama for taking executive action on immigration – just as 11 Presidents have done 39 times in the past 60 years. This action now requires that our enforcement and deportation efforts are focused where they should be – on felons and not families. The President is doing what he can do – it is now our responsibility to do our job.
Instead of once again attacking President Obama, threatening another government shutdown, or spending millions of taxpayer dollars in pursuit of a ridiculous lawsuit, I call on Speaker Boehner to take up the Senate bill when Congress reconvenes in December.”
For more information on the President’s action visit this link on the White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/immigration-action
Source: Schakowsky.house.gov
