Mediaboss Marketing

President Barack Obama reversed course on Saturday and delayed taking executive action on immigration reform until after November congressional elections, bowing to concerns it could cost his fellow Democrats control of the U.S. Senate.

Obama had promised in a high-profile White House appearance in June to announce unilateral measures by the end of summer if Congress did not enact immigration reform legislation.

A White House official cited partisan politics as the main reason for the delay.

"The reality the president has had to weigh is that we're in the midst of the political season," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"And because of the Republicans' extreme politicization of this issue, the president believes it would be harmful to the policy itself and to the long-term prospects for comprehensive immigration reform to announce administrative action before the elections," the official said.

Obama will take action on immigration before the end of the year, the White House said.

Immigration reform advocates called the delay a betrayal of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States and accused Obama of putting politics first.

"Today the president and the Senate Democrats have made it very clear that undocumented immigrants and Latinos are simply viewed as political pawns," said Eddie Carmona, campaign manager for the PICO immigration reform group.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is in a tight midterm race himself, called the decision cynical.

"He's just saying he'll go around the law once it's too late for Americans to hold his party accountable in the November elections," the Kentucky senator said in a statement.

More:
Obama won't act on immigration reform after November elections

By Ashley Killough, CNN

updated 10:19 AM EDT, Fri September 5, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- Gov. Chris Christie, who has long avoided wading into the immigration debate, said Thursday in Mexico City that he won't lay out his position on immigration reform unless he decides to run for president.

"Until that time I have no role in the immigration debate, except for how it may affect the individual citizens of New Jersey, which I'll deal with as governor," the New Jersey Republican told reporters.

"But I won't have anything to say on immigration unless and until I become a candidate for president of the United States," he continued. "If that happens, then I will articulate a full position on it."

Third of Mexicans would migrate to the U.S., survey finds

His comments came on the second of a three-day trip to Mexico, where the governor is meeting with Mexican dignitaries and business leaders to build economic and education partnerships.

While Christie has repeatedly criticized President Obama for his handling of security enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, the governor has yet to detail his own position on legislation reform.

"I know you guys are begging to have me focus on immigration, and let me put you to rest: I'm not going to," he said, referring to the news media. "You can ask in 18 different ways ... I'm not giving you the story, so you can move on to whatever your next questions are."

Link:
Christie passes on immigration position

WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama said Saturday that the surge of immigrant children entering the U.S. illegally changed the politics surrounding the issue of immigration and led him to put off a pledge to use executive action that could shield millions of people from deportation.

Immigration reform advocates criticized Obama after White House officials said that the president would not act at summer's end as he promised in June but would take up the matter after the midterm elections in November. In an interview taped for NBC's "Meet the Press," Obama rejected the charge that the delay was meant to protect Democratic candidates worried that his actions would hurt their prospects in tough Senate races.

By Obama's own calculations, politics did play a role in his decision. In his remarks to NBC, which were to be aired on Sunday, he said a partisan fight in July over how to address an influx of unaccompanied minors at the border had created the impression that there was an immigration crisis and thus a volatile climate for taking the measures he had promised to take.

"The truth of the matter is is that the politics did shift midsummer because of that problem," he 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."

Reflecting the passion behind the threat of deportations, immigration advocacy groups that have criticized Republicans for not passing an immigration overhaul instantly turned their anger on Obama.

Cristina Jimenez, managing director of United We Dream, said the decision was "another slap to the face of the Latino and immigrant community."

"Where we have demanded leadership and courage from both Democrats and the president, we've received nothing but broken promises and a lack of political backbone," she said.

"We are bitterly disappointed in the president and we are bitterly disappointed in the Senate Democrats," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice. "We advocates didn't make the reform promise; we just made the mistake of believing it. The president and Senate Democrats have chosen politics over people, the status quo over solving real problems."

Two White House officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be quoted by name, said Obama made the decision to delay taking action as he returned Friday to Washington from a NATO summit in Wales. He called a few allies from Air Force One to inform them of his decision, the officials said, and made more calls from the White House on Saturday.

Obama went to the White House Rose Garden on June 30 to angrily declare that House Speaker John Boehner had informed him that the Republican-controlled House would not be taking up any measures to overhaul the immigration system. As a result, he said, he had directed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder to give him recommendations for executive action by the end of summer. Obama also pledged to "adopt those recommendations without further delay."

Read more:
White House: Obama to delay immigration action

WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama said Saturday that the surge of immigrant children entering the U.S. illegally changed the politics surrounding the issue of immigration and led him to put off a pledge to use executive action that could shield millions of people from deportation.

Immigration reform advocates criticized Obama after White House officials said that the president would not act at summer's end as he promised in June but would take up the matter after the midterm elections in November. In an interview taped for NBC's "Meet the Press," Obama rejected the charge that the delay was meant to protect Democratic candidates worried that his actions would hurt their prospects in tough Senate races.

By Obama's own calculations, politics did play a role in his decision. In his remarks to NBC, which were to be aired on Sunday, he said a partisan fight in July over how to address an influx of unaccompanied minors at the border had created the impression that there was an immigration crisis and thus a volatile climate for taking the measures he had promised to take.

"The truth of the matter is is that the politics did shift midsummer because of that problem," he 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."

Reflecting the passion behind the threat of deportations, immigration advocacy groups that have criticized Republicans for not passing an immigration overhaul instantly turned their anger on Obama.

Cristina Jimenez, managing director of United We Dream, said the decision was "another slap to the face of the Latino and immigrant community."

"Where we have demanded leadership and courage from both Democrats and the president, we've received nothing but broken promises and a lack of political backbone," she said.

"We are bitterly disappointed in the president and we are bitterly disappointed in the Senate Democrats," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice. "We advocates didn't make the reform promise; we just made the mistake of believing it. The president and Senate Democrats have chosen politics over people, the status quo over solving real problems."

Two White House officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be quoted by name, said Obama made the decision to delay taking action as he returned Friday to Washington from a NATO summit in Wales. He called a few allies from Air Force One to inform them of his decision, the officials said, and made more calls from the White House on Saturday.

Obama went to the White House Rose Garden on June 30 to angrily declare that House Speaker John Boehner had informed him that the Republican-controlled House would not be taking up any measures to overhaul the immigration system. As a result, he said, he had directed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder to give him recommendations for executive action by the end of summer. Obama also pledged to "adopt those recommendations without further delay."

Read more here:
Competing politics forced Obama delay immigration

President Barack Obama will delay executive action on immigration reform until after the November elections, media reported Saturday morning. The move reverses what Obama said June 30 when he pledged action on immigration soon after the end of the summer, reports the New York Times.

The shift in policy is due to pressure from Democrats who feared an executive action could hurt their chances in November's elections, reports Reuters. "Because of the Republicans' extreme politicization of this issue, the president believes it would be harmful to the policy itself and to the long-term prospects for comprehensive immigration reform to announce administrative action before the elections," an unnamed White House official told the wire service.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Obama's delay "smacks of raw politics," a Politico writer reported.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is up for re-election this year, called the move "Washington politics at its worst," CBS reported. He said the president must work with Congress, "not rewrite the laws on his own.

But he predicted that Obama will take executive action "once it's too late for Americans to hold his party accountable in the November elections."

Obama remains committed to act on immigration reform, White House officials insisted, but any action could serve as a rallying call for conservatives during the election cycle, which could bring out Republican voters and hurt Democrats in tight Senate races. An executive action could also hinder long-term immigration reform, notes NYT.

"I have also directed [Homeland Security] Secretary [Jeh] Johnson and Attorney General [Eric] Holder to identify additional actions my administration can take on our own, within my existing legal authorities, to do what Congress refuses to do and fix as much of our immigration system as we can. If Congress will not do their job, at least we can do ours. I expect their recommendations before the end of summer and I intend to adopt those recommendations without further delay," Obamahad said on June 30.

Obama criticized Republicans for obstructing immigration reform, saying, "And in this situation, the failure of House Republicans to pass a darn bill is bad for our security, its bad for our economy, and its bad for our future."

Read more:
Immigration Reform: President Obama Delays Executive Action Until After Election, Despite Earlier Promise