Immigration Reform 2013: House Democrats Pen Letter To Obama Urging Suspension Of Deportations

29 House Democrats led by Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) put their names to a letter which urges President Barack Obama to use his executive powers to suspend deportations for many more of the nation's undocumented immigrants, as immigration reform legislation remains stalled in the Republican-led House. "We 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," wrote the letters' authors. "Let us not take these policies lightly."

The lawmakers suggested that the president expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Obama created in June 2012 in a memo directing immigration authorities to halt the deportation of many young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children and grew up here. Since then more than 550,000 people have benefited from the temporary deportation reprieve that memo extended. "It is necessary to expand the protections of our future citizens that were established by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and grant it to the family and neighbors and all of those who have made their lives here but are yet to be fully recognized," they wrote. "We 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."

The letter's authors also pointed to the "cessation of the deportation of the 1,100 potential citizens expelled daily" as important in moving "the parameters of the conversation" about immigration to emphasize the legalization of the nation's undocumented immigrants. House Republican leaders have not scheduled a floor vote on any of their pieces of legislation dealing with the issue, and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has rejected a bipartisan, comprehensive bill passed by the Senate in June. House Democrats maintain that if Boehner were to introduce that bill for a vote, it would pass in the House. "We are just one person away from comprehensive immigration reform," Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said in reference to Boehner at a press conference announcing the release of the letter. "Just one person."

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