If the U.S. Congress fails to pass immigration reform, President Obama will act on his own and permit several undocumented immigrants to live legally in the United States, according to Sen. Marco Rubio. He says that immigration reform would be better than President Obama’s executive order.
Rubio (R-Fla.) is a part of the Gang of Eight and is one of the authors of the Senate immigration reform bill. The Senate bill was approved and passed by the U.S. Senate. This bill would legalize the country’s undocumented immigrants while strengthening border security.
Rubio told the conservatives who are against immigration reform that President Obama would offer legal status to the undocumented immigrants and permit them to obtain U.S. citizenship if Congress fails to pass a bill with both legalization and border security.
Rubio stated that President Obama will be tempted to act on his own and issue an executive order if Congress fails to act. In the year 2012, President Obama issued an executive order and granted the undocumented youth, the DREAMers, a two-year reprieve from deportation by implementing the deferred action policy. He is likely to do something like that, according to Rubio. He says that the President would legalize the country’s undocumented immigrants by issuing an executive order.
President Obama’s deferred action policy provides a temporary relief, for certain eligible undocumented youth, from deportation. Deferred action has so far helped more than 400,000 DREAMers to fulfill their dreams of living in the U.S. without fear.
Immigrant activists now want President Obama to stop deporting the undocumented immigrants who are likely to become eligible for legal status under the Senate bill. Activists are urging the President to issue an executive order and legalize the nation’s undocumented immigrants because the immigration debate has slowed down in House.
Rubio believes that President Obama will use his presidential power and grant the undocumented immigrants amnesty. He says that the country’s borders will not be secured and E-Verify will not be mandated but the undocumented immigrants will be legalized.