Politics

Dem Lawmaker: Obama Planning ‘Broader, Bolder Action’ On Immigration Unless Republicans Act

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Brendan Bordelon Contributor
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Illinois Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez warned that “unless Republicans act” on comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama will take “broader, bolder action” to curb the deportation of illegal immigrants without changing the law through Congress.

Gutierrez spoke to MSNBC’s Ronan Farrow on Wednesday afternoon about their agreement that comprehensive immigration reform — which may or may not include amnesty for illegal immigrants — should make it through the U.S. Congress this summer. The Illinois congressman claimed that even with strong opposition from parts of the Republican Party, he’s confident reform will pass.

But even if it doesn’t, Gutierrez promised immigration activists they won’t be disappointed.

“The president kept saying, ‘Oooh, I’m not a dictator, I can’t unilaterally do this, Congress has to act,'” the congressman began. “You know what he said? But he didn’t say that when we met with him three, four weeks ago.”

“He said, ‘Luis, I’m instructing Secretary Johnson . . . to look at how it is people are deported and to make the deportations much more humane,” Gutierrez continued. “I think we’re going to have small, significant changes in how it is that are going to allow our committee to combat deportations”

“But I gotta tell you something,” he warned, wagging his finger. “If the Republicans do not act — and they don’t act by the end of this summer — I think you’re going to see the President of the United States take broader, bolder actions to save millions of people from deportation.”

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