Gutierrez: Obama to Unilaterally Enact Amnesty After Cantor Loss

Gutierrez: Obama to Unilaterally Enact Amnesty After Cantor Loss

on Wed, 11 Jun 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), perhaps the most outspoken amnesty proponent in Congress, said the stunning defeat of Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the primary Tuesday is no impediment to President Obama moving forward with immigration unilaterally.

“When people say there’ll be no action on immigration, watch the White House,” Gutierrez said in a brief interview with Breitbart News.

“Let me just say one thing. The calendar hasn’t changed. That’s one thing that is consistent in Washington D.C. and that is the calendar. And they have to make a decision. Whether they're going to oppose sensible immigration reform or whether they’re going to double down, sharpen their knives in their anti-Obama rhetoric,” Gutierrez, who had just spoken on the House floor, said. 

“But one thing is clear to me: Immigration reform is not dead. The Republican leadership has not made a decision about how its going to proceed," he added. "Now there are dozens of my colleagues in the Republican caucus who want to work with Democrats on a sensible, border enforcement, legalization process to fix our broken immigration system. They have the decision to make, I would simply say." 

"It’s not dead, it may just be moving to the White House for action there," Gutierrez declared. "I believe the president has within existing law the power to take action to protect the immigrant community, and I think he will take those actions.” 

“If we don’t see anything by July the 4th there won’t be any action [in the House] on immigration. My point is it may simply be moving,” Gutierrez said.