SEIU Petitioning Obama to Move on Executive Amnesty

The Service Employees International Union is circulating a petition to press Obama to act on executive amnesty.

“President Obama has committed to act by the end of the year, and he needs to know now more than ever that we have his back in improving our broken immigration system,” Sylvia Ruiz, the SEIU Immigrant Justice Campaign director, wrote in an email to supporters pushing for signatures Friday. 

Recent reports have pinned the time Obama announced his executive actions on immigration as early as next week and Republicans are considering ways to prevent the unilateral action — which many expect could include amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. 

“Regardless of the exact timing, we’re closer than ever from the biggest immigration victory in decades — and Republicans are panicking,” Ruiz continued going on to note that while a “permanent solution” would require Congressional action, Obama “can take the first step in turning the tide.”

Meanwhile the anti-amnesty group Numbers USA has a new petition out as well, calling on Congress to defund any executive amnesty Obama announces.

“More than 90 million working-age Americans are out of the labor force, and 18 million Americans who want a full-time job can’t find one. But if Pres. Obama’s executive action is anything like DACA, 4.5 million working-age, illegal aliens will receive work permits adding more competition to the job market for millions of unemployed Americans,” the petition reads. 

The SEIU and other labor groups have been advocates for amnesty both via the legislative process and executive action. Last week SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and other labor leaders called on Obama to move forward with executive amnesty, despite the midterm drubbing Democrats took.

To date, the SEIU petition has more than 6,700 signatures out of a goal of 7,000. 

Numbers USA’s petition to Members of Congress has 11,363 signatures.