President Barack Obama is "looking forward" to imposing an executive order that will give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants currently in the country, said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
Just two days after the election, the president announced his intention to unilaterally move forward with executive plans on immigration, even as House Speaker John Boehner and incoming House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that it would be a bad start to establishing a
constructive working relationship with Congress.
"Jorge, I'll just be as clear and candid as I possibly can,” Earnest said on Fusion TV's "America with Jorge Ramos."
"The president made a promise in the fall that if Congress didn't act that the president himself would take executive action to try to solve the problems of our broken immigration system before the end of the year. The president is going to keep that promise and is going to make that announcement before the end of the year.
"And it reflects a disappointment on part of the president."
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Earnest added that House Republicans were to blame for failing to pass immigration reform, which has forced the president to take action himself.
"The president is disappointed that this legislative solution won't be achieved, but the president is looking forward to taking executive action on his own to solve as many of these problems as he can."
Obama has vowed to act before the end of the year, but the White House has not elaborated on what the executive order will entail.
The possibilities include halting deportations of the parents of children brought to the United States illegally. But it could also be broader, affecting as many as the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently estimated to be living in the U.S.
Obama's action could also drive a
wedge between Republicans, with some who say the party must take steps to modify its position against undocumented immigrants and others who continue to believe they are lawbreakers who should be returned to their home countries.
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