Mr. Speaker. I rise today to voice support for President Obamas Executive Actions on immigration. These initiativesnamely. the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and an expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)-could provide as many as 5 million immigrants with temporary relief from deportation. President Obama has courageously led in the face of a Republican Congress that is derelict in its duty. A legislative solution is the only long term fix to our broken immigration system. Yet. despite the support of the American people. a bipartisan majority in Congress. business groups and the faith communitythe Republican leadership has fallen prey to xenophobia and the politics of fear. Now it appears the Fifth Circuitin denying the Federal Governments appeal of the preliminary injunction that blocked implementation of President Obamas initiativeis playing politics instead of performing its constitutionally mandated role of interpreting the law. The Constitution is clear on the powers of the Executive Branch. Prosecutorial Discretion is a wellestablished principle. I applaud the Administrations decision to appeal this decision and vigorously defend its executive action on immigration before the Supreme Court. My hope is that the Court takes this important case. and I expect that it would rule in favor of justice and the Presidents action.
Keywords matched
xenophobia immigration DACA deportation immigrants