Obama presses ahead on immigration

President Obama defended his executive orders on immigration during his weekly radio address on Saturday. 

Obama unveiled sweeping executive orders earlier this week that would protect five million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

{mosads}”Nothing about this action will benefit anyone who has come to this country recently, or who might try and come to America illegally in the future,” Obama said. “It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive.  And it’s certainly not amnesty.”

Obama’s orders allow for immigrants who have been in the U.S. for more than five years without any felony convictions to apply for deferred deportation. 

Republicans have criticized the move as granting amnesty and abusing presidential power. Obama, however, said that if Congress passed immigration reform, he wouldn’t have needed to act alone.

“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in the Senate came together to pass a commonsense compromise bill,” Obama said. “Now, had the House of Representatives allowed a yes-or-no vote on that kind of bill, it would have passed with support from both parties. Today it would be the law.”

Obama blamed House Republicans for not passing that bill and again called on Congress to pass legislation.

“As you might have heard, there are members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better.  Well, I have one answer for that:  Pass a bill,” he demanded. “The day I sign it into law, the actions I’ve taken to help solve this problem will no longer be necessary.”