WASHINGTON, D.C.—Following reports that the White House anticipates announcing an Executive Order on immigration reform as early as this week, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18) has expressed her support for bold action by the President in any executive action to overhaul our country’s immigration system.

“It’s been over 16 months since the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to reform our country’s immigration system and strengthen our economy. Should Speaker Boehner wish to avoid an Executive Order, he can simply allow the bipartisan Senate bill to come to the floor of the House for a vote, which I’m confident would pass on a bipartisan basis,” Eshoo said.

Eshoo co-signed a letter to the President last week with 116 House Democrats urging him to “take bold and meaningful executive action.” A copy of the letter can be found here.

Eshoo concluded, “Like numerous presidents before him, broad authority exists under current law for President Obama to issue an Executive Order that offers work authorizations to critical agricultural and high-skilled immigrant workers and uses enforcement discretion to protect undocumented immigrants with strong ties to the U.S. from deportation, as he has already done for individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children.

“It’s time we swing for the fences to provide a major boost to our economy, promote family unity, keep talent in our country, and focus enforcement on unlawful immigrants who pose a threat to society.”

Background

The legal authority for taking executive action is clear and substantial. Two years ago, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts reaffirmed in the case Arizona v. United States that the Administration retains “broad discretion” to decide “whether it makes sense to pursue removal at all.” And executive action in this area is anything but unprecedented. In fact, every past President starting from President Dwight D. Eisenhower more than half a century ago has used such authority when dealing with similar issues regarding the national interest.

In addition, an Executive Order on immigration reform could result in the following economic impacts:

• Beneficiaries of deferred deportation will have greater access to educational opportunities and better jobs, which means more taxable income and lower unemployment. It also encourages them to invest more in their own education, open bank accounts, buy homes, and start businesses.
   
• A recent report from the Center for American Progress found that offering work authorization to the estimated 4.7 million undocumented immigrants with a minor child in the U.S. could bring in an additional $21 billion in tax revenues over the next five years.
   
• The Department of Labor found that the wages of immigrants who benefited from the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986 under the Reagan Administration increased 15 percent over five years and that legalized immigrants moved on to significantly better jobs.
   
• Immigrants are twice more likely to start businesses than natives, and, among people with advanced degrees, immigrants are three times more likely to file patents than U.S.-born persons.
   
• Immigrants spend their wages in the U.S., which sustains the jobs of local workers and results in more jobs for more workers.
   
• Expanding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals will likely reduce the drop-out rate for students, since most unauthorized youth are currently forced to work illegally in a cash economy.

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