WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack
Obama said on Thursday that he still planned to take steps on his own to
improve the U.S. immigration system but that his timeline for taking
action has been affected by the need to deal with a flood of migrant
children from central America.
Obama had previously said he planned by the end of summer to find
ways to change immigration regulations, unilateral action he said
was made necessary by the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive
reforms.
But at a news conference on Thursday, Obama was circumspect about
the timing of his announcement, which will be controversial ahead of
November midterm elections where Democratic control of the U.S.
Senate is at stake.
Asked whether he would delay his decision on immigration changes,
Obama talked about the time his administration has invested on
apprehending migrant children, nearly 63,000 of whom have come
across the southwestern border since October 2013.
"Some of these things do affect timelines, and we're just going to
be working through as systematically as possible in order to get
this done," Obama said.
"But have no doubt: in the absence of congressional action, I'm
going to do what I can to make sure the system works better," he
said.
In 2012, Obama gave temporary legal status to some undocumented
immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
Hispanic groups have pressed him to expand that policy to millions
of family members of those children.
But 70 percent of Americans believe undocumented immigrants threaten
the nation's culture and economy, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed
earlier this month.
Immigration has been a hot issue for lawmakers at meetings in their
home states this summer and Conservatives who object to Obama's
immigration policies have threatened to tie a must-pass budget bill
to the issue, raising the specter of a government shutdown.
But if Obama delays, that would infuriate Hispanic groups, an
important base of support for Democrats.
The numbers of children showing up at the border have dropped but
could rise again when the summer heat dissipates. The White House
wants to make sure that a high-profile announcement from Obama
doesn't inadvertently spur a renewed surge of migrants.
"We don't want to see people resume taking this dangerous journey to
the border in the coming months," a White House official said on
condition of anonymity.
"The timing of any potential action on immigration could influence
migrations to the border," the official said.
Democrats are wary ahead of November midterm elections. If they lose
control of the U.S. Senate, Obama would face setbacks for the final
two years of his presidency.
There is anxiety about any controversy, including immigration, lest
it tip the balance in key races, said Jim Manley, a Democratic
strategist who is a former aide to Senate Democratic leader Harry
Reid.
"I'm willing to say that I found his comments a bit odd and he
seemed to suggest that there's a pretty big debate going on within
the White House about when exactly is the right time to issue this
executive order," Manley said in an interview.
(Reporting By Roberta Rampton and Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Sandra
Maler and Jeremy Laurence)
