Obama’s Immigration Order Challenges States
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval criticized President Obama's 'unilateral' action on immigration. Office of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval
Whether it was ‘dictatorial’ or ‘the right thing to do,’ officials walk a fine line in responding to the president’s move.
For many state officials, President Obama’s executive order on immigration is creating operational and political headaches. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval was careful to tout the importance of comprehensive reform, but said “any solution to the greater problem must be a legislative solution, not a unilateral decision made by the executive branch.”
In a statement following Obama’s remarks Thursday evening, he said the president’s action gives false hope to millions of people living in the United States illegally: “It represents dreams delayed by patchwork progress and expediency over good government. I encourage congressional leadership and President Obama to rise to the occasion of this challenge and work toward passing a bipartisan solution.”
While bipartisanship in Washington may seem like a long shot, Ohio Gov. John Kasich predicted his fellow Republicans wouldn't risk a government shutdown over the president's immigration order.
"No! No! They're not going to shut the government down," Kasich told Reuters on Wednesday at the Republican Governors Association gathering in Boca Raton. "It's not even an issue. It's not going to happen."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Maine Gov. Paul LePage told the group the president’s action was “shameful”:
“It’s very shameful,” said Mr. LePage, who said he had followed existing immigration procedures to spend 11 years and $80,000 to secure a green card for a young Jamaican, now 29 years old, who he calls his adopted son.
“I should have just told him to go to Mexico and jumped the fence,” said Mr. LePage, who was here attending the semiannual meeting of the Republican Governors Association.
California Gov. Jerry Brown welcomed Obama’s order: "Tonight, in the face of Washington gridlock, the president stepped up for hard-working families across America. This is the right thing to do, and it’s time for Congress to finish the job.”