Boehner: Unilateral Action on Immigration 'Would Be a Grievous Mistake'

House Speaker John Boehner warned President Barack Obama against taking the polarizing, political approach to immigration Friday.

“Immigration is a tough issue, and the situation at the border has made it even more fraught and complex,” he wrote in an op-ed published at Politico. “We need to fix our broken immigration system, but it must be done by Congress, and it must be done in a common-sense, step-by-step fashion so that the American people have a say in what we are doing. We can only succeed if the people understand and support these reforms.”

In his column, titled “Do Your Job, Mr. President,” Boehner argued that the ongoing crisis of unaccompanied minors and family units illegally crossing the border was partially inspired by Obama’s failure to enforce immigration law and will we made worse if Obama moves ahead with unilateral action to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. 

“Now, consistent news leaks from the White House suggest the president is poised to repeat that mistake – and make it far worse – by rewriting the law again and dramatically expanding his unilateral action,” he wrote. “That would be a grievous mistake.”

Boehner also called for Obama not to take unilateral action on so-called “tax inversions,” wherein companies move their headquarters overseas for lower tax rates. 

“President Obama faces a choice: He can work with Congress to deal with the tough issues, or he can go it alone and cement a legacy of increased polarization, partisanship and lawlessness,” the Ohio Republican wrote. “There is no doubt that immigration reform and tax reform will be hard, but there is also no doubt that acting the right way will boost our economy, create jobs and – perhaps – begin to rebuild the tattered bonds of trust between the American people and their government.”