WASHINGTON - The White House is urging lawmakers to back away from a campaign led by Hispanic Democrats to block deportations involving U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, a move that risks antagonizing Latino voters crucial to President Obama's re-election.
Several members of Congress who were scheduled to attend a March 31 news conference on the issue said administration officials contacted them to voice concern about their participation. Until federal immigration law is overhauled, the lawmakers say, Obama should use his executive power to protect families facing deportation or separation because at least one parent is an illegal immigrant.
"The staffers that are attached to us, the liaisons, they transmitted some concern," said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif. and former chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, referring to the White House legislative affairs office. "They would have loved us not to have gone to the press conference."
Honda, a Japanese-American, attended with other officials, including Asian and black lawmakers, even after getting a call, because it's "not only about Hispanics," he said. "I want to broaden that so people don't think just brown."
At least three Democrats - Honda, Judy Chu of California and Keith Ellison of Minnesota - said they were contacted about the event. Reps. Yvette Clarke of New York and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who, like Ellison, are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, were scheduled to attend and didn't, according to their offices. Neither Clarke nor Lee could be reached for comment.
"Not everybody who usually shows up, showed up," Honda said.
The absences were noted by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
"I heard some people got called," said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., a former president of the caucus. "I didn't."
The lawmakers are asking the White House "to make some administrative remedies to lessen the pain," Grijalva said. "They see that as politically not healthy for them."
Offering relief to illegal immigrants through executive fiat, and not legislation, could anger voters worried about the estimated 11.2 million undocumented residents in the United States. It may also undermine Obama's argument that he favors a comprehensive immigration overhaul through Congress.
"We regularly reach out to lawmakers to discuss immigration reform," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "Our focus continues to be on building bipartisan consensus around a legislative path that can produce comprehensive reform."
The administration argues that it doesn't have the legal authority to exempt certain immigrant categories from the law.
Lawmakers, led by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. and the first Hispanic member of Congress to endorse Obama for president in 2007, called the news conference last week to announce a 20-city tour to highlight the effect "our broken immigration system" can have in splitting up families. The tour began last weekend, with rallies in Providence, R.I., and Boston.
They're also seeking help for those who would have been covered by the White House-backed Dream Act, which passed the House last year and was blocked in the Senate. It would provide permanent residency to college graduates and military veterans who arrived in the U.S. as children illegally.
As of 2008, there were 4 million children in the U.S. who were citizens yet had at least one parent who wasn't, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
"You don't have to deport them, Mr. President, you can parole them in place," Gutierrez said, previewing the argument he will make with Obama when they meet later this month. "The goal is to say that the young people in the Dream Act should be paroled in place."
Obama resists Hispanic Dems' push to stop deportations
Several members of Congress who were scheduled to attend a March 31 news conference on the issue said administration officials contacted them to voice concern about their participation. Until federal immigration law is overhauled, the lawmakers say, Obama should use his executive power to protect families facing deportation or separation because at least one parent is an illegal immigrant.
"The staffers that are attached to us, the liaisons, they transmitted some concern," said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif. and former chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, referring to the White House legislative affairs office. "They would have loved us not to have gone to the press conference."
Honda, a Japanese-American, attended with other officials, including Asian and black lawmakers, even after getting a call, because it's "not only about Hispanics," he said. "I want to broaden that so people don't think just brown."
At least three Democrats - Honda, Judy Chu of California and Keith Ellison of Minnesota - said they were contacted about the event. Reps. Yvette Clarke of New York and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who, like Ellison, are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, were scheduled to attend and didn't, according to their offices. Neither Clarke nor Lee could be reached for comment.
"Not everybody who usually shows up, showed up," Honda said.
The absences were noted by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
"I heard some people got called," said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., a former president of the caucus. "I didn't."
The lawmakers are asking the White House "to make some administrative remedies to lessen the pain," Grijalva said. "They see that as politically not healthy for them."
Offering relief to illegal immigrants through executive fiat, and not legislation, could anger voters worried about the estimated 11.2 million undocumented residents in the United States. It may also undermine Obama's argument that he favors a comprehensive immigration overhaul through Congress.
"We regularly reach out to lawmakers to discuss immigration reform," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "Our focus continues to be on building bipartisan consensus around a legislative path that can produce comprehensive reform."
The administration argues that it doesn't have the legal authority to exempt certain immigrant categories from the law.
Lawmakers, led by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. and the first Hispanic member of Congress to endorse Obama for president in 2007, called the news conference last week to announce a 20-city tour to highlight the effect "our broken immigration system" can have in splitting up families. The tour began last weekend, with rallies in Providence, R.I., and Boston.
They're also seeking help for those who would have been covered by the White House-backed Dream Act, which passed the House last year and was blocked in the Senate. It would provide permanent residency to college graduates and military veterans who arrived in the U.S. as children illegally.
As of 2008, there were 4 million children in the U.S. who were citizens yet had at least one parent who wasn't, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
"You don't have to deport them, Mr. President, you can parole them in place," Gutierrez said, previewing the argument he will make with Obama when they meet later this month. "The goal is to say that the young people in the Dream Act should be paroled in place."
Obama resists Hispanic Dems' push to stop deportations
