Schatz Commends President Obama's New Executive Actions on Immigration

Washington, DC – President Barack Obama today announced new executive actions to address the nation’s broken immigration system. The executive actions, which have been used by every president since the 1950’s, will make sure our immigration enforcement efforts are used to secure the border, prevent threats to national security, and protect public safety – instead of wasting our resources deporting law-abiding immigrants who have lived in the country for years.  U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) commended the announcement which would keep families together and enable immigrants who pass criminal background checks to work legally and pay taxes.

“For decades, our broken immigration system has separated families and forced millions to live in the shadows. That is why I was proud to help pass bipartisan immigration reform legislation in the Senate last year.  But since then, House Republicans have refused to take up the bill and have offered no realistic solutions,” Senator Schatz said. “I commend President Obama for taking measured steps to address our broken system.  This will bring some welcome relief for the many undocumented families hoping to live the American Dream, but we need a permanent solution from Congress.”

In June 2013, Schatz voted to pass the Bipartisan Immigration Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act which would create an accountable path to citizenship and make investments in infrastructure, technology, and personnel to secure our borders. The bill passed with a strong bipartisan Senate majority and has awaited action from the House of  Representatives for more than a year.  

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