Ga Dem. Hank Johnson defends President's immigration action

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga) skillfully combined praise and defense relating to President Barack Obama's recent controversial action on immigration, in a statement released following President's Thursday announcement. Hank represents Georgia's fourths congressional district.

”Just as past presidents have used executive orders to move society forward, President Obama is using his authority to boldly push the nation ahead on immigration reform, said Johnson. ”President Abraham Lincoln – exercising his constitutional authority – issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. President Truman used an executive order to integrate the armed forces in 1948. President Eisenhower used an executive order to desegregate schools in 1957. In the 1960s, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson used them ban racial discrimination in federal housing, hiring, and contracting."

In recent years, Democrats started comparing various aspects of illegal immigration to racial and gender inequality struggles in America.  Republicans' refusal to grant a legal status to perhaps as many as 20 million of immigrants living in U.S. without proper authorization has prompted immigration activists to rally support among American civil rights and  church leaders. This visible involvement from figures that remind the country of past injustices has helped to underscore the human rights aspect of illegal immigration.  

If the Congressional divide continues, the GOP is facing a risk of a permanent damage to its brand.  Two years ago, strange comments from Republican lawmakers and candidates about violence against women caused outrage across the country and electoral defeat. With the issue of immigration heating up, the commentary from the right can at times sound similarly callous and outdated, especially with the help of skillful editing in the main stream media.  Additionally, most polling across the country shows support for some level of legalization for illegal immigrants.

In his executive action orders, Obama granted deportation protection for as many as 5 million of undocumented immigrants, allowed work authorization for illegal immigrants who are parents to American citizens and legal residents, and extended various protections and work permits for children who were brought into the country illegally at no fault of their own (commonly referred to as DREAMers).  Even though the orders don't offer any pathway to legalization, Republicans instantly labeled them as "amnesty."  The President and the Democratic Party have vowed to rally support for Obama's action and future immigration changes.  

"President Obama is making his historic contribution to advance our nation by protecting dreamers and undocumented parents and families of U.S. citizens from deportation as well as making more visas available for highly-skilled workers," said Johnson. "His order will also secure our borders. I support the President’s use of executive action, and I stand together with the millions of undocumented individuals and their families who have been held hostage for years by conservative leadership that refuses to give them the opportunity to legally become part of our country.