Top Senate Democrats Stand Behind Obama On Immigration

As Republicans threaten to do whatever they can to block President Barack Obama from reforming the immigration system without Congress, leading Senate Democrats promised on Monday to “stand behind [Obama] to support changes to keep families together."

"Immigrant communities have waited too long for House Republicans to catch up with the American public’s support for comprehensive immigration reform," reads the letter to the president, first reported by Politico. "We strongly support your plan to improve as much of the immigration system as you can within your legal authority, and will stand behind you to support changes to keep families together while continuing to enforce our immigration laws in a way that protects our national security and public safety."

The letter was signed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), all of whom hold top posts in the Democratic caucus.

Obama could announce plans for executive action on immigration as soon as this week. According to preliminary reports, the president is likely to allow millions of undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. and to receive temporary work authorizations. The plan could also make changes to the controversial Secure Communities enforcement program, allow immigrants with high-tech skills and their spouses to gain citizenship, and send more funding to police the southern border.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/17/senate-democrats-immigration_n_6172078.html

Poor Boehner who has previously stated that a government shutdown is not going to happen in response to the president's action on immigration, says in this article that ""all of the options are on the table". Sounds he is on the defensive and doesn't know what to say from one day to the next.