Press Releases

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. released the following statement in support of President Obama’s impending announcement that he will exercise his authority under existing law to improve our broken immigration system through executive action:

“President Obama has the authority, under the U.S. Constitution and the Immigration and Nationality Act, to improve our broken immigration system so that it better serves American families, our communities and the economy.  Like so many presidents before him, President Obama has chosen to use his authority to defer removal where it is in the national interest.

“Because of President Obama’s decisive executive action, countless American families will gather around the Thanksgiving table next week free from the fear of being torn apart by a broken immigration system.  Husbands and wives, parents and children – who follow the rules and continue making positive contributions to our society – will now be able to emerge from the shadows and live without fear of being separated from their loved ones.  The President’s executive order means that the administration will be able to focus limited enforcement resources on those who pose a threat to our national security and public safety.

“The need to protect families and to bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows is one of the most pressing civil rights issues we face today.  But for more than 8 years, congressional Republicans have blocked every effort to legislatively fix our broken immigration system.  House Republicans are now poised to close out the 113^th Congress without bringing a single immigration reform bill to the Floor or even allowing debate on the bipartisan Senate-passed legislation.  The cost of inaction is just too great to continue this partisan gamesmanship.”

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In June 2013, the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill by a vote of 68-32.  The legislation would have overhauled U.S. immigration law, by establishing a fair pathway to citizenship, further securing our borders, and revamp our visa programs for high and low-skilled workers.

For more information on how President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will impact undocumented immigrants, click on either link below:

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