U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Florida, has blamed the standstill with immigration reform on both major political parties and President Barack Obama.

Diaz-Balart's comments came ahead of Obama's trip to Florida on Wednesday.

Diaz-Balart, during an interview with the Miami Herald Editorial Board, acknowledged the U.S. immigration system is broken, but he identified the solution.

"The only permanent real fix to the broken immigration system -- and it's absolutely broken from A to Z...for our economy, for our national security interests, for the rule of law, by the way for folks who have done things legally, it is totally unfair -- the only way to get it done is through a legislative fix."

The Florida congressman, who has Cuban roots, said Obama made congressional immigration reform more difficult with his immigration executive actions.

"Congress has to take responsibly because Congress has killed it for many, many years too. Obama is not the only culprit, but he has not been helpful no matter what he would like to state," said Diaz-Balart. "The Republican leadership has killed it, Democratic leadership has killed it, President Obama has helped kill it."

In regards to the Department of Homeland Security's funding gridlock in Congress, Diaz-Balart said he has no idea how the funding issue will get solved. He does admit no one wants Homeland Security funding to expire, which is set to cease on Feb. 27. Diaz-Balart noted the work by most of the DHS will continue even if the department's funding expires, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and people involved in national security.

Diaz-Balart claimed Obama knew the GOP-controlled Congress was going to respond to his decision to enact his immigration executive actions.

"The president is a lot of things, but you know what he's not, he's not dumb. He knew that when he did the executive order, this is exactly what was going to happen," said Diaz-Balart.

While Diaz-Balart opposed Obama's immigration executive action, he did vote against amendments that would defund the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has provided more than 600,000 undocumented immigrant youths temporary deferment from deportation.

In a statement following the original vote on H.R. 240, the House bill to fund the DHS and included amendments impacting Obama's executive actions, he explained, "President Obama has said that any executive action would be 'very difficult to defend legally,' and yet we have seen him use such power not once, but twice in as many months. It is evident that the only permanent and legal way to solve our country's broken immigration system is for Congress to pass legislation that actually has a chance of becoming law and deals with the issue."

"As I have done in the past, I am working with my colleagues in the 114th Congress to find a solution that strengthens our borders, respects the rule of law, treats those living in the shadows in a humane manner, modernizes our visa system, and bolsters the economy. It's time for President Obama to respect the powers of the United States Congress as they are written in the laws of our great nation," continued Diaz-Balart on Jan. 14.

According to the White House, Obama will visit Florida International University in Miami on Feb. 25, for a town hall meeting about immigration.

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