Immigration Reform News 2014: Obama Administration sticking to Deadline for Immigration
In keeping a self-imposed deadline in three weeks, President Barack Obama and his legal advisers have been working on immigration reform options, Bloomberg reports.
"Have no doubt. In the absence of congressional action, I'm going to do what I can to make sure the system works better," Obama said at a recent press conference, Bloomberg reported.
Whatever the administration reveals is sure to cause a ruckus on some level.
"No matter what he does, the right wing is going to go bonkers," Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of U.S. unions, told Bloomberg. "If he goes mild, he'll energize the right, but won't energize the center and the left."
Some have even threatened another government shutdown.
"If the president wields his pen and commits that unconstitutional act to legalize millions, I think that becomes something that is nearly political nuclear," Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, told Bloomberg.
Obama has previously stated his desire to defer deportation for millions of Central American migrants which have flooded into the U.S. recently while escaping dire situations in their home countries.
In addition, whatever reform is announced is aimed at helping the tens of millions of undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.
An anonymous White House official told Bloomberg that, in the past two months, Obama's advisers have met with at least 21 groups including Hispanic, Irish-American, business, labor, agriculture, and gay and lesbian organizations.
Recent polls have showed that immigration is topping the list of priorities -- for those both for and against.
Gallup polls in June and August show that Republicans and Republican-leaners feel immigration is the most important problem in the country, even more important than the economy, unemployment and dysfunctional government, Bloomberg reported.
"If Congress will not do their job, at least we can do ours," Obama said.
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