Obama 2011: Me Bypassing Congress, Changing Immigration Law Not How a Democracy Works

On May 10, 2011, President Barack Obama spoke about immigration reform at Chamizal National Memorial Park in El Paso, TX. In that speech he vowed to “keep up the fight” to pass comprehensive reform though Congress. 

“Sometimes when I talk to immigration advocates, they wish I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself, but that’s not how a democracy works,” Obama said. “What we really need to do is to keep up the fight to pass genuine, comprehensive reform. That is the ultimate solution to this problem. That’s what I’m committed to doing.”

Monday from the White House rose garden Obama vowed to do everything with his power to bypass congress on immigration law saying he was starting “a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress.” 

This week Obama also directed his cabinet members “to be creative” while figuring out ways to bypass congress on immigration law.

Follow Pam Key On Twitter @pamkeyNEN