WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama moved Thursday to circumvent lawmakers as he announced executive actions to shield five million undocumented persons from deportation, escalating tensions with an already hostile Congress.
“Today our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it,” Obama said during a televised address Thursday evening. “It’s been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven’t done much about it.”
Law enforcement will now focus its immigration efforts on “felons, not families; criminals, not children; gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize,” Obama said.
As Obama made his announcement, dozens gathered outside the White House holding banners that read, "Families over politics," and "Gracias Presidente Obama," which is Spanish for "Thank you, President Obama."
Under the president’s plan, those who have come into America illegally and have lived in the country for at least five years, and whose children are either U.S. citizens or lawful residents, can apply to stay "without fear of deportation." That will require applicants to register, pass a background check, and pay their "fair share of taxes."
"You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is," Obama said.
Striking back at criticism, Obama said that real amnesty for an estimated 11 million immigrants currently in the U.S. illegally would be “leaving the broken immigration system the way it is.”
Additionally, Obama moved to bolster U.S. border protection services by supplying law enforcement personnel with additional resources.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, Obama's announcement "will also centralize border security command-and-control to continue to crack down on illegal immigration." Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is planning to combat illegal immigration along the southern U.S. border to bolster enforcement efforts, according to the White House.
A comprehensive immigration reform bill passed the Senate last year with Obama's support, but stalled in the Republican-controlled House.
Congressional Republicans have staunchly opposed unilateral action from Obama, arguing that the president would be exceeding the constitutional limits of his power if he acted without them.
"The president has said before that he’s not king and he’s not an emperor, but he's sure acting like one," House Speaker John Boehner said in a video released following Obama's announcement.
"Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We won't shrink from this duty," the Speaker also tweeted.
But Obama defended the legality for his action and challenged lawmakers to act.
“To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.”
He added that the actions that he is taking are under the legal authority that Democratic and Republican presidents before him have used.
To rally support for his plan, Obama will travel Friday to Del Sol High School in Las Vegas. He first unveiled a plan for immigration reform legislation at the school in 2013.
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