Grimm calls Obama’s immigration overhaul ‘shameless’

brooklyneagle.com ^ | November 22, 2014 | Paula Katinas

[Tailgunner Joe]

U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, the lone Republican member of the New York City congressional delegation, lashed out at President Barack Obama over his announcement to use executive action to overhaul the nation’s troubled immigration system.

Grimm, who issued a statement following the president’s nationwide address on Thursday, stopped short of calling for impeachment, as other Republicans have done, but accused Obama of committing “a shameless act.”

On Nov. 20, the president vowed to use executive action to prevent the deportation of some 5 million undocumented immigrants and added that he would clear the way for many of those immigrants to gain work permits to allow them to gain legal status and participate in the country’s economy.

In his 15-minute address, Obama said he was taking these steps because Congress had refused to act on immigration.

Grimm (R-C-Brooklyn-Staten Island), who won re-election earlier this month, said the president has gone too far.

“This is a shameless act of defiance against the will of the American people, as evidenced by the fact that even countless Democrats begged the president not to grant blanket amnesty before the recent midterm election,” Grimm said.

“I’ve made clear since day one that I reject amnesty and believe that we cannot have an honest discussion about immigration reform until we first secure our borders. Unfort-unately, the president’s unilateral executive order does nothing except create a class of non-citizen residents that further complicates our already convoluted immigration system, and proves that he has zero interest in actually working with Congress to accomplish long-term, meaningful reform,” Grimm said.

Grimm charged that Obama is trying to please his left-wing base.

“The priorities of this president and the left-wing base this move is aimed at pleasing are completely backwards, especially at a time when our focus should be on strengthening our economy to put middle class Americans back to work and taking care of our seniors and veterans,” Grimm said.