- The Washington Times - Updated: 8:01 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, 2014

Brushing aside warnings from Republicans, President Obama announced Thursday night that he is granting legal status and work permits for nearly 5 million illegal immigrants, igniting a constitutional furor that amounted to a declaration of war against the incoming GOP majorities in Congress.

In a prime-time address from the White House, Mr. Obama said his action is “lawful,” and he dared Republican critics in Congress to counter him by passing a comprehensive legislation, which he said would be a permanent fix.