Cicilline Statement on Supreme Court Review of Executive Action on Immigration

PAWTUCKET – U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court announced it will hear a challenge to President Barack Obama’s executive action to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation:

«I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case and resolve the question of the legal status of the President’s executive action to prevent immigrant families from being torn apart.»

«Our immigration system is seriously broken, is ripping families apart, and does not serve our national interests well.  There is little serious question that President Obama’s actions fall within the Executive Power of the President as set forth in our Constitution.  Presidents have broad and well-established authority in this area.  Prior Presidents, including Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan have used such executive authority in the past and it’s important that the Supreme Court uphold the President’s authority and indeed responsibility to execute the laws of our nation.»

In the face of Congressional inaction on immigration reform, the President has properly established priorities and taken commonsense measures to implement those priorities to ensure that millions of immigrants who live and work in the United States are not threatened with deportation.

«At the same time, it is critical that Congress take action to reform our country’s broken immigration system and allow undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows, be registered, submit to a thorough background check and be set on a path to citizenship. Congress has ignored this issue for decades and, regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision later this year, it is critical that Republicans and Democrats work together to finally fix our broken immigration system.»