Obama Eyes Limits of Executive Power in Immigration Move
By Roger Runningen and Lisa Lerer Aug 5, 2014 12:01 AM ET
President Barack Obama is surveying the boundaries of his power after repeatedly promising to act on his own to address the nation’s immigration policy.
As he considers whether to expand his earlier directive easing deportations or move to let some undocumented immigrants in the U.S. get work permits, Obama won’t be able to make the fundamental changes he’s been pushing for since taking office.
“There are limitations that are under -- within -- the confines of the current law,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said at a briefing yesterday. “Congress can do more to address this problem than the president can.”
Obama has asked Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to review his options for executive action on immigration, in the absence of legislation from Congress, which left last week for a five-week summer recess. Earnest said Holder and Johnson would report back by “the end of summer” and expects to act “relatively quickly.”
Among the actions being considered is granting some of the 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally work permits that would allow them to stay in the country, according to a Democratic Senate aide and immigration advocates.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-04/obama-may-find-executive-powers-limited-on-resolving-immigration.html
