Lujan Grisham Statement on Immigration Action

Statement

Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Obama's immigration announcement tonight.

"While I prefer a comprehensive approach to reforming our broken immigration system, I understand the immediacy of acting now to keep immigrant families together and provide them with temporary protections from deportation. By granting temporary work permits and requiring immigrants to go through background checks and pay taxes, we are encouraging them to come out of the shadows and be productive members of society. This will also allow us to shift resources toward other priorities in our communities.

"However, our work is not done. Our immigration system is still broken and Congress must pass a comprehensive legislative fix that will provide a long-term solution. The President has stated that he is willing to work with Congress and that he is willing to retract his order once Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform. This is an invitation from the President to Congress to work with him to finally fix what we all agree is a broken immigration system. I urge my Republican colleagues to stop delaying this issue and to pass comprehensive immigration reform today."

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