WASHINGTON – In response to President Obama’s announcement that he will take executive action on immigration, People For the American Way President Michael Keegan released the following statement:

“We applaud President Obama for taking the steps he can within his legal authority to protect millions of undocumented immigrants. By continually blocking progress on immigration reform, Congressional Republicans have chosen to stand with anti-immigrant extremists instead of with the American people. While Congress still needs to reform our nation’s immigration laws, this is a historic step in the right direction.

“This action is the right thing to do for families bearing the weight of our broken immigration system, a system in which approximately 1,100 people are separated from their families every single day. Today, millions of Americans will be able to breathe easier, knowing that their families will no longer be next.

“Action to provide relief to immigrant families cannot and should not wait. We applaud the president for moving our country forward. Now, we must continue to urge Congress to pass immigration reform and fix our broken immigration system once and for all.”

Today People For the American Way and American Bridge released a new video highlighting Congressional Republicans’ continued demeaning rhetoric about immigrants and immigration reform. Last year PFAW released a report, “Congressional Republicans’ Clear Choice on Immigration: Stand With Pro-Reform Majorities or Cave to Anti-Immigrant Extremists,” detailing the strategies that have been used by the Right to block progress on immigration reform.

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