Hispanic Dems: Act now on deportations

Wasting no time upon their return to Washington, Hispanic Democrats on Wednesday will push President Obama to act immediately to rein in deportations.

At a 2 p.m. press conference outside the Capitol, several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) will join high-ranking Democrats in urging Obama to make good on earlier promises to take executive action on deportations in the absence of legislation.

{mosads}Obama has vowed since March to evaluate his deportation policy in search of ways to make it more “humane,” but he’s delayed unilateral action twice since then, largely due to pressure from centrist Senate Democrats who feared such action would hurt them at the polls.

With the elections passed, and no legislation forthcoming from Republicans in Congress, Obama has doubled down on his promise to employ his executive pen.

The issue puts the president in a tough spot. On one hand, he faces pressure to reduce deportations dramatically to satisfy the many promises he’s made to his liberal and Hispanic base.

On the other, GOP leaders are warning that any executive action he takes in the lame-duck session will “poison the well” for cooperation with the White House, undermining any shot Congress has to pass more sweeping immigration reforms.

How those tensions play out over the coming weeks is anyone’s guess.

— This story was updated 1:36 p.m.