Despite admonitions from amnesty activists, more Senate Democrats are urging Obama against extending executive amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, especially before the November elections, according to a Politico report.
“I have concerns about executive action,” Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken, said in a statement Thursday, reported by Politico. “This is a job for Congress, and it’s time for the House to act.”
In recent weeks Democrats in red states facing tough reelection races have pushed back against the president taking unilateral action on immigration reform.
“This is an issue that I believe should be addressed legislatively, and not through executive order,” North Carolina Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, for example, said late last month.
The President said in late June that given congressional inaction he would “fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress.” After setting a hard end of summer deadline for action, the Obama administration has signaled that it is rethinking the timing.
And while the White House considers the political wisdom of announcing the actions before the elections, more Democrats are advising caution, according to Politico’s report, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said through a spokesman that he would like to see executive action after the mid term election.
Maine Independent Sen. Angus King — who caucuses with the Democrats — told Politico he thought executive action “would be a mistake.”
“I would oppose a unilateral action of a significant nature on immigration reform both on constitutional grounds and on policy grounds,” King said to Politico. “I hope the White House and the administration are reconsidering their statements on unilateral action.”
And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would not say either way when Obama should move.
“The decision is the president’s,” Reid said in an interview with Politico. “I’m confident he’s going to do something. He has to decide when he’s going to do it.”
Wednesday immigration activists expressed frustration at Democrats calling for a delay in the on a conference call with reporters, calling on them to “step aside.”
“I say to the Democrats, stand aside. Let the president make the decision. Let him announce it and stop this — stopping the progress of our community toward justice. Just step aside,” Illinois Rep. Luis Gutiérrez said on the call with immigration reform activists.
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