New Republican Majority Needs to "Go Big and Go Bold" on Rolling Back Obama Immigration Agenda

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), regarding the implications of yesterday's elections on immigration policy in the lame duck session of Congress and in the upcoming 114^th Congress:

"The voters have spoken and they have dealt a definitive repudiation to President Obama's political agenda. Clearly, the American people think the country is headed in the wrong direction and are looking for decisive leadership to forge a new one.

"In the weeks leading up to the elections, President Obama vowed that he will defy public opinion and the constitutional limits of his authority to 'go big and go bold' in granting de facto amnesty and work authorization to millions of illegal aliens. Today's message from the voters is that they want the new Republican majority in Congress to go just as big and just as bold by upholding the Constitution and defending the interests of the American people.

"Republicans now have a mandate from the American people to prevent the president from carrying out a massive executive amnesty by cutting off funding for such purposes. That effort must begin immediately with the government funding bill. Specifically, clear language must be included in an omnibus spending bill or a Continuing Resolution explicitly defunding the implementation of new and existing programs granting deferred action and work authorization to broad classes of illegal aliens.

"Moving forward, the 114^th Congress must also roll back the many damaging changes to immigration policy unilaterally implemented by the Obama administration over the past six years. Since 2009, the president has rewritten immigration policy, essentially nullifying countless laws constitutionally enacted by Congress. The president has ignored the constitutional limits of his office, abused his discretionary authority, and eviscerated meaningful enforcement of immigration laws intended to protect the economic, social and national security interests of the American people.

"Today, the American people said, 'Enough.' It is now up to the new Republican majority in Congress to honor the wishes of the American people and reverse the president's unlegislated and unconstitutional immigration policies. And, over the next two years, congressional Republicans need to earn the trust placed in them by offering an alternative vision of immigration reform: One based on the principle that the first responsibility of U.S. immigration policy is to serve the broad interests of the American people.

FAIR looks forward to working with the 114^th Congress and, in the coming weeks, will lay out specific proposals for true immigration reform over the coming two years."

About FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group.  With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests.  FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

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