Emanuel, Rep. Gutierrez Applaud Obama's Action On Immigration
(CBS) -- CBS 2's Jim Williams reports President Obama's action sets the stage for a big fight with Republicans over immigration reform, but the president says he's waited long enough for congress to act.
In a White House video, President Obama says he's doing what he can do to reform immigration…"to make the system work better even as I continue to work with Congress and encourage them to get a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that can solve the entire problem."
The president's executive action would provide work permits for at least five million people who are in the country illegally.
Chicago Congressman Luis Gutierrez will hear the details at a White House dinner Wednesday with several other Democrats. His spokesman called the president's action a turning point.
"... given the intransigence of the Republicans this will move us as far towards greater security and humanity in our policies as the President can go under existing law," Rep. Gutierrez said ina statement.
Republicans have warned President Obama not to take executive action on immigration. They say he's ignoring what they call the will of the American people after the overwhelming Republican victories on Election Day.
But Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the president's former chief of staff, said Mr. Obama is making the right call.
"I'm proud that the President of the United States is standing up and using the power of the executive pen so to say and executive action to change the law to allow the immigrants that have been sitting in the shadows to become citizens," Emanuel said.
Published reports say the president's action would not extend health care benefits to those who are here illegally.
After his televised address Thursday night, he plans to sign the executive order Friday at a high school in Las Vegas.