Murray Statement on President Obama’s Administrative Action

VIDEO: Earlier this week, Murray spoke out in support of the President’s decision to act

 Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement after President Obama took Administrative Action to improve the broken immigration system.

“As President Obama said this evening, America is a nation of laws, and the actions he announced reaffirm that legacy while continuing our shared commitment to national security and public safety.

“In Washington state and around the country, immigrants are a critical part of our communities.  But because of our broken immigration system, these men and women are forced to live in the shadows as Americans in all but name.

“By no means is this a long term solution.  Plain and simple, the only way to fix our immigration system is to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. But until Congress is able to do that, I applaud the President for his leadership and his actions to support our economy and protect more than 4 million people from unjust law enforcement.  This is an historic day, not only for the millions of men and women who can finally come out of the shadows, but also for our country’s identity as a nation of immigrants.

“More than 500 days ago, the Senate passed real, bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would provide these men and women with a path to citizenship, support our economy, and improve our national security, but since then, Speaker Boehner has refused to bring up the Senate bill that we know would also pass in the House of Representatives.  Because the Speaker simply refuses to move our nation forward and act, President Obama is right to take action to improve our immigration system.

“The President’s actions today are only a first step.  In the months to come, there will be lots of work to do to ensure families and businesses can safely and reliably adjust to these changes.  And until Congress passes true, comprehensive immigration reform, I will continue working each day to help the families and businesses trapped by our broken system.”