News Release

Washington, D.C. –Idaho Senator Mike Crapo issued the following statement on President Obama’s decision to issue an executive order on immigration that could apply to as many as five million illegal immigrants:

“Rather than listening to the American people and respecting their voices in the last election, the President will instead impose his deliberately divisive action on the important issue of illegal immigration,” said Crapo.  “This unfortunate choice by the President will, most importantly, hurt immigrants in the long run and undercut future prospects for lasting immigration reform.  In addition, the President has done an about-face on his executive role. Just last year, he said ‘I’m not the emperor of the United States.  My job is to execute laws that are passed.’  However, his administration has repeatedly tried to side-step Congress through the use of Executive Order.  The inherent checks and balances between the branches of government are a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy, and these actions set a dangerous precedent by violating our basic Constitutional principles.  

“No one should gain any advantage or benefit toward citizenship or legal permanent resident status because of illegal entry into the United States.  The unilateral legal protections provided lawlessly to millions of illegal immigrants by the President—benefits that legal immigrants must wait years to obtain—pose a profound  threat to our immigration system and rule of law, discouraging those who seek to come to America from doing so legally.  I will continue to press for a solid solution that will secure our nation’s borders and advocate for sound, sensible immigration policies.”

Crapo previously called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for the immediate consideration of legislation to prohibit the President from implementing sweeping immigration reforms through the use of executive order.  Read the letter here.