Eshoo Statement on the Executive Action of the President on Immigration

November 21st, 2014

PALO ALTO, Calif.—Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18) issued the following statement regarding the President’s executive actions to address the country’s immigration system:

“Using his Constitutional authority, as has every president since Dwight Eisenhower, the President announced a series of executive actions to improve our country’s broken immigration system. I welcome his actions even though they are partial due to constraints of the law regarding executive action.

“It is unfortunate that Speaker Boehner has refused to allow the bipartisan Senate immigration bill to the floor of the House. No executive action would have been needed if he had allowed the full House to express its will on a simple up or down vote.

“While the President’s actions are not a substitute for what Congress has the authority to address, they provide sensible, lawful solutions to alleviate a buckling immigration system, including:

• Deferred Action for Parents – This action means that the administration will not pursue deportation of undocumented immigrant parents of children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. This will positively impact an estimated 4 million parents who have been in the U.S. prior to January 1, 2010, keeping families united.
• Expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – This action expands the pool of young people who are eligible for deferred action, primarily by removing the age limit and permitting children under the age of 15 to apply. An estimated 270,000 more immigrants will benefit from this policy.
• New Guidance on Immigration Enforcement Priorities – Undocumented individuals involved in criminal undertakings will face heightened enforcement of the law. Undocumented immigrants who contribute to society and are otherwise law abiding will not be targets of deportation.
• Reforms to Employment-Based Immigration System – In my Silicon Valley district, the executive actions address many of the broken parts of the system:
  • Allowing high-tech visa holders to change jobs while waiting in the green card backlog.
  • Spouses of high-tech visa holders will be able to seek employment for the first time.
  • The executive action creates new avenues for entrepreneurs to launch new companies and create jobs in the U.S. Approximately 200,000 immigrants will benefit from these measures.

Under the law, the President cannot unilaterally raise the cap on high-tech work visas, and this must be pursued by Congressional action.

“Five million people will be positively affected by the President’s executive actions and this, I believe, meets our Founding Fathers’ intent of creating a more perfect union for all who wish to be a part of it.”

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