By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Monday, September 8, Congressman Bradley Byrne (R) from Montrose issued a written statement regarding President Barack H. Obama’s decision to “delay” his controversial executive action on immigration policy until after the midterm elections in November.
Representative Byrne said: “There is no right time for the President to use executive action to change our nation’s immigration laws. The very reasons the President gave for not acting unilaterally now are the same reasons he should not act unilaterally at all. There is no politically convenient time to circumvent our nation’s clearly defined system of checks and balances.”
Rep. Byrne continued, “Our number one priority must be on ensuring that our borders are actually secure. I remain open to engaging in a serious conversation about reforming our nation’s broken immigration system to make sure it works for more people, but that conversation can only take place once the President shows a willingness to follow the laws currently in place. Executive amnesty would cripple any chance for real, positive changes to our nation’s immigration system. I strongly urge the President to hold true to some of his past statements and not move forward with any executive action on immigration.”
On Sunday, September 7, President Obama told ‘Meet the Press’ in a taped interview, “The truth of the matter is — is that the politics did shift midsummer because of that problem,” referring to the border chaos caused by hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding across the border expecting amnesty to be declared by the President. President Obama said, “I want to spend some time, even as we’re getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I also want to make sure that the public understands why we’re doing this, why it’s the right thing for the American people, why it’s the right thing for the American economy.”
Critics of the Obama administration’s immigration policies accuse the President of refusing to enforce our immigration laws in order to attract more illegal immigrants to this country as part of his plan to “fundamentally transform” America.
Critics, including U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R) from Alabama point out that labor participation rates in this country for citizen and immigrant alike are plummeting, while wages and social mobility both are declining. Critics charge that Obama’s plan to flood the country with millions of new third world immigrants would be devastating to millions of American families, while profiting huge corporations. Sen. Sessions said on Monday, “The President is proposing to repeal, through executive action, the lawful protections to which every American worker is entitled. His action would allow millions of illegal immigrants to instantly take precious jobs from struggling American workers, unemployed American workers by the millions, in every sector of the economy.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R) from Oregon in an email to supporters of the National Republican Congressional Committee wrote, “This weekend, Obama decided to use an Executive Order after the election to keep millions of illegals – possibly as many as 11 million – inside the United States.” “It’s now even more critical that the GOP controls Congress and we elect as many conservatives as possible.”
Advocates for the growing illegal immigrant community in this country expressed doubts in the President. They had hoped that he would declare his executive amnesty this summer while the Congress was on break.
Frank Sherry, the Executive Director of the group, America’s Voice, said in a statement, “We are bitterly disappointed in the President…The President and Senate Democrats have chosen politics over people.”
United Farm Workers President, Arturo Rodriquez told the Associated Press, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” “He broke his promise to the millions of immigrants and Latinos who are looking for him to lead on this issue in the wake of Republicans’ dysfunction and obstruction.”
According to original reporting by Fox News, Sherry was skeptical of Obama carrying out his bold executive amnesty plan. “It is hard to believe this litany of high expectations and broken promises will be mended by the end of the year.”
Congressman Bradley Byrne represents Alabama’s First Congressional District.
