Obama Sees Narrow Window to Pass Immigration Legislation

Wall Street Journal

By Laura Meckler and Jeffrey Sparshott

May 13, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303851804579560001423353252?mg=reno64-wsj

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he sees a narrow window this summer for Congress to pass immigration legislation, amping up pressure on the GOP House to seize what is likely to be the last chance for action this year.

"We've got maybe a window of two to three months to get the ball rolling in the House of Representatives, and your voices are going to be absolutely critical to that effort," Mr. Obama told law-enforcement officials meeting Tuesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

"We've got this narrow window. The closer we get to the midterm elections, the harder it is to get things done around here."

The president suggested that he is trying to support House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), who favors action, and other Republicans who agree. "They've got to have a political space that allows them to go ahead and get it through their caucus," he said.

Some immigration advocates have less faith in the Republican-led House, and say they are no longer willing to wait for Mr. Boehner to act. Instead, they have turned their pressure on Mr. Obama to demand that he use executive action to cut deportations of people in the U.S. illegally.

The Senate passed a sweeping, bipartisan immigration bill last summer, but the issue has languished in the House ever since. House Republicans have a rough consensus on some of the hot-point issues, including offering legalization and the opportunity, but no guarantee, of citizenship for many of those in the country illegally. But many Republicans have balked at taking on a divisive issue like this in the midst of an election year.

Still, in recent weeks, Mr. Boehner has told donors that he wants to tackle the issue this year and has openly mocked House Republicans who don't want to deal with it because it is too hard. That has given the White House and some immigration advocates hope that the House may try to advance some sort of legislation this summer.

If the House doesn't act, Mr. Obama is widely expected to make some unilateral changes to deportation policy in response to loud complaints from immigration activists who say people who pose no threat and who would qualify for legalization under the Senate bill are being deported.

His options range from modest adjustments to how the government prioritizes people for deportation to explicitly offering safe harbor to some people in the U.S. illegally.

On Tuesday, the president suggested that law enforcement, as well as evangelical Christians and some business leaders, were the "unexpected voices" that could push immigration over the top—though these groups, many of whom tend to favor Republicans, have long been in favor of the measure.

Law enforcement, he said, favors the overhaul, in part, because people in the U.S. illegally may be reluctant to report crimes or serve as witnesses because their fear consequences to themselves or their families.

The groups at the White House meeting on Thursday included the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs Association, National Sheriffs Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and the Police Executive Research Association, the White House said.

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