Skip to main content

Pelosi Statement on Anniversary of President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration

November 20, 2015

Contact: Drew Hammill/Evangeline George, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions:

"One year ago, President Obama took bold, necessary action to bring our broken immigration system into line with our national interest and our values as Americans. But misguided decisions from the Fifth Circuit Court have blocked essential elements of the President's executive actions – deferring the dreams of hard-working immigrant families across the country.

"We cannot perpetuate an immigration system that tears apart families and fails to meet the national interest. Just as Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush did before him, President Obama took executive action to restore accountability and fairness to our immigration system. The fact is that these actions fall well within the President's broad legal authority, and conform to the precedent established by every Administration – Republican and Democratic – since President Eisenhower.

"Although we remain confident that the President's actions will ultimately be upheld, no executive action can absolve Congress of its urgent duty to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Hard-working, law-abiding immigrant families have endured too many Thanksgivings consumed by the fear of separation. It is long past time for Congress to come together to honor families, strengthen communities and fix our broken immigration system once and for all."

# # #