Immigration advocates: ‘No more excuses’

Activists are urging President Obama to issue an executive action on immigration now that the midterm elections are mostly over.

“With the midterm elections behind us, there are no more excuses to delay an administrative relief package,” said Caroline Dessert, executive director of Immigration Equality, which advocates for illegal immigrants who are gay.

{mosads}The Obama administration delayed action on immigration reform until after the midterms at the urging of some vulnerable Senate Democrats, who worried it could hurt their electoral chances.

Immigration activists said Obama’s “dangerous strategy to delay deportation relief” until after the midterms “failed” as Democrats lost control of the Senate.

Now, immigration activists are demanding Obama take immediate unilateral action by issuing an executive order that delays deportations for thousands of illegal immigrants.

“Less than 24 hours after Election Day, it is clear that President Obama’s dangerous strategy of delaying deportation relief until after the midterm elections failed,” the activists said.

Immigration Equality said it is particularly concerned about the more than 267,000 LGBT immigrants (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) who could be deported back to countries where it is illegal to be gay.

Marco Quiroga, a national field officer for Immigration Equality, said Obama’s inaction is “endangering” their lives.

“The president’s overdue relief program continues to be the only possible immediate protection we have from being sent back to homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination,” Quiroga said.

Immigrations activists vowed last week they would step up the pressure on Obama until he halts deportations.