US President Barack Obama dared republican led Congress and pushed for new immigration system to felicitate millions of immigrants.
In a nationally televised address from White House, Obama appealed to Americans that deporting people is “not who we are” and quoted scripture which said “We shall not press a stranger for we know the heart of a stranger – we were strangers once, too.”
Obama’s decision can help around 5 million people from deportation and allow many more to work legally in the US.
“The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every Democratic president for the past half century,” Obama said.
“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 said.
“Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law?” he asked, adding, “Whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in.”
Reacting to the speech, Republican leader and House Speaker John A. Boehner said in a statement, “By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left”.
“Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people. We will listen to them, work with our members, and protect the Constitution,” he added.
Political observers said that Obama’s directive could make or break the democrat’s future in the 2016 presidential campaign.
(Input from The New York Times)
Tags: Barack Obama Immigration law US immigration system USA
