Statement on Obama's Executive Action on Immigration

American Encore President Sean Noble and Policy Director Patrick Hedger released the following joint statement in response to President Obama's announced plans to use executive action to suspend certain immigration laws:

"If President Obama proceeds unabated in granting millions of undocumented immigrants exemptions to federal law, he will be in direct violation of various protections against abuse of power enshrined in the Constitution. One can only imagine how Democrats would react if a Republican president in 2016 granted American citizens exemptions to the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank, along with each and every last onerous regulation imposed by agencies like the EPA since 2009. Contrary to recent comments from Democrats, Republican Presidents like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush used executive orders to enforce laws passed by Congress, not make law as President Obama is doing purely because of his own impatience.

We strongly oppose the forthcoming actions of President Obama. Respect for the rule of law by our elected officials used to be what separated the United States from the types of countries many of our nation's immigrants have fled from. It is a shame that President Obama has chosen to now blur this distinction."