Senator Tim Scott Responds to President Obama’s Immigration Announcement

Washington, DC – Following President Obama’s announcement this evening that he plans to take unilateral executive action on immigration, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) issued the following statement:

“As our nation has continued to discuss how to best address the significant issues with our immigration system, time and time again, President Obama has made it clear that he did not have the authority to act unilaterally. Unfortunately, he has now decided that politics trump that fact.

This short-sighted view and these ill-advised actions will unfortunately have a host of unintended, negative consequences on an already strained immigration system. Attempting to justify his actions by harkening back to the 1986 immigration reform package is flat wrong – and ignores the fact that almost 30 years after 1986 our immigration system is more broken than ever.

While the President has decided once again that separation of powers only matters when it is beneficial to him, I sincerely hope he will reconsider these actions as we continue to look for solutions. The process must begin with securing our borders and fixing our legal immigration system, and I stand ready to work on those issues anytime.

America is both a compassionate nation and a nation of laws, and to keep that balance the White House must work with Congress, not, as the old phrase goes, take their ball and go home. Together, we can address the current issues with targeted, responsible efforts that secure the border, enforce existing U.S. laws, and create a workable, efficient system for future immigrants.”