Congressman Raul Grijalva joined 27 other Democrats to urge President Barack Obama to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to all undocumented immigrants now in the United States.

Obama established the DACA program, which allows potential DREAM Act kids to be safe from prosecution and deportation, last year. But in a November speech at a fundraiser, he dismissed the idea of expanding the program in response to a heckler who demanded he stop deporting undocumented immigrants.

“What you need to know, when I’m speaking as president of the United States and I come to this community, is that if in fact I could solve all of these problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so,” Obama said. “But we’re also a nation of laws. That’s part of our tradition. … So the easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like I can do something by violating our laws. What I’m proposing is the harder path, which is to use our democratic process to achieve the same goal that you want to achieve. But it won’t be as easy as just shouting. It requires us lobbying and getting it done.”

In a letter to Obama, Grijalva and his fellow Democrats said they “cannot continue to witness potential citizens in our districts go through the anguish of deportation when legalization could be just around the corner for them. We look to you to firmly contribute to advancing inclusion for immigrants by suspending deportations and expanding DACA.”

“Every deportation of a father, a sister, or a neighbor tears at our social consciousness; every unnecessary raid and detention seriously threatens the fabric of civil liberties we swore to uphold,” the letter reads. “We are talking about American families and American communities. Criminalizing American families or giving local law enforcement the responsibility to choose who stays and who goes, is not the right option.”

This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2013.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

9 replies on “Grijalva: Obama Should Stop Deportations Now”

  1. “cannot continue to witness potential DumboCrat voters in our districts go through the anguish of following the Law”

  2. Ok let me see if I get this….he wants to let all the illegals (law breakers) to stay because it is breaking up families….right? Well what is the difference when someone breaks the law and gets sent to jail or prison? They are being separated from their families….so does that mean they shouldn’t go to jail?
    I think maybe Raul should pack his bags and move across the border to be with “his people” and help them inter the legal way.

  3. Actually, you are incorrect, Mr. Grijalva. In one paragraph, you refer to “potential citizens”. In the next, you refer to “American citizens”. you can’t be both at the same time.

  4. This is the guy who supported the boycott of Arizona and put hispanic hotel workers on the unemployment rolls.

    He should be out of work next election.

  5. “What you need to know, when I’m speaking as president of the United States and I come to this community, is that if in fact I could solve all of these problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so,” Obama said. “But we’re also a nation of laws. That’s part of our tradition. … So the easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like I can do something by violating our laws. What I’m proposing is the harder path, which is to use our democratic process to achieve the same goal that you want to achieve.”

    Thus speaks the man who routinely signs executive orders or simply issues fiats to abrogate the laws-the universe truly loves irony. Mr. Grijalva has simply observed the process and knows how it works. For some, at least…

  6. I’m still longing for the day that Grijalva’s first priority would be American citizens living in his district and not illegal aliens.

  7. Congressman Grijalva, SIR, you are on the right side of history on this subject! Please keep up the good work on immigration reform. We need to stop ripping families apart, those who comment randomly about our immigration laws have no concept of the reality on the ground. There are some people who should be deported but there are many who should not be! I am an advocate of individual freedom and limited government. What we have here is neither!

  8. There’s no reason to rip families apart. Do something positive for the American citizens in your district. Send all the illegal aliens packing, and have them take their families with them.

  9. “We are talking about American families and American communities”. We are? I thought we were talking about illegal immigrants there for a minute.

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