President Obama on Tuesday told hecklers it no longer makes sense to criticize him for deportations, saying that his executive action last week to grant temporary amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
In a speech in his home city of Chicago, Mr. Obama said he understands “why you might have yelled at me a month ago,” before his action, but said “it doesn’t make much sense to yell at me right now when we’re making changes.”
And in his boldest language yet Mr. Obama characterized his moves as “action to change the law” — likely adding fuel to conservative critics’ claim that he’s usurped Congress’s role to write immigration laws.
Mr. Obama has regularly been heckled at speeches by immigrant-rights activists who say he has set deported record numbers of illegal immigrants and unfairly split families.
His new temporary amnesty announced last week, which grants lawful status to nearly 5 million illegal immigrants, has not satisfied them, and several chided him in the middle of a speech Tuesday in Chicago.
“I’ve listened to you, I heard you, I heard you, I heard you,” Mr. Obama said, nodding to three different hecklers who interrupted him at the same time. “Nobody’s removing you. I’ve heard you. But you’ve got to listen to me, too.”
Mr. Obama defended his unilateral immigration moves as good for the economy, saying it would produce $90 billion of economic activity and boost wages for existing workers.hopes
And in his boldest language yet Mr. Obama characterized his moves as “action to change the law” — likely adding fuel to conservative critics’ claim that he’s usurped Congress’s role to write immigration laws.
Mr. Obama has regularly been heckled at speeches by immigrant-rights activists who say he has set deported record numbers of illegal immigrants and unfairly split families.
His new temporary amnesty announced last week, which grants lawful status to nearly 5 million illegal immigrants, has not satisfied them, and several chided him in the middle of a speech Tuesday in Chicago.
“I’ve listened to you, I heard you, I heard you, I heard you,” Mr. Obama said, nodding to three different hecklers who interrupted him at the same time. “Nobody’s removing you. I’ve heard you. But you’ve got to listen to me, too.”
Mr. Obama defended his unilateral immigration moves as good for the economy, saying it would produce $90 billion of economic activity and boost wages for existing workers.hopes
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.