Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement tonight in response to President Obama’s announcement that he will use an executive action to adjust the country’s deportation policies, focusing on undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes, rather than those with strong ties to the U.S.:
“I applaud the President for taking an important first step to help fix our country’s broken immigration system. In the face of House Republican’s crippling inaction, President Obama has acted decisively and within his legal authority to help keep families together and ensure that everyone living in this country is playing by the same rules. These executive actions will help secure our border, hold bad actors accountable, and ensure that families are not being ripped apart.
“While President Obama’s announced plan will expand protections to millions of undocumented immigrants in this country, it is no substitute for a comprehensive solution. This is a critical step in the right direction, but there is much more that needs to be done. Congress has a responsibility to act to address this issue in a comprehensive manner.
“Speaker Boehner and Republican leadership in the House have repeatedly asserted that they intend to take up immigration reform. However, it has been over a year since the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill, and House Republicans have yet to schedule a single vote on the issue. It is the job of Congress to legislate, and immigration reform needs a legislative solution. I urge my Republican colleagues to stop making excuses and start working with Democrats so that we can finally address the problems facing our nation’s immigration system in a meaningful way.”
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