Chairman Rogers Statement on the President’s Immigration Executive Order Announcement

House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement on his plan to provide amnesty for illegal immigrants tonight:

“With this new proposal, the President has once again demonstrated his willingness to act unilaterally - against the spirit of our Constitution, against the law of Congress, and against the will of the American people – to make misguided, unwarranted changes to our immigration laws.

“His flagrant disregard for our nation’s laws is not only disappointing but deeply unsettling – I won’t stand for it, and the American people won’t stand for it.

“The President’s proposal simply won’t solve the problems plaguing our nation’s immigration system – in fact, it may make things worse. Granting this kind of unilateral amnesty to illegal immigrants undermines the integrity of our laws, and at its core harms the thousands of people who have patiently waited their turn to immigrate to the United States legally.

“Rather than acting alone to extend this broad-reaching amnesty, the President should work with Congress on legislation that more completely addresses our nation’s broken immigration system, and he should start by turning back the tide of illegal immigration, fully enforcing our laws, and securing our borders – all which are crucial to any successful U.S. immigration policy.

“We have heard the collective outrage of the American people. Congress must fight this executive order tooth and nail through legislative means that will enact real change. ”

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