Norton Calls on Obama to Suspend Deportations

WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of tomorrow's State of the Union address, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on a press call today called on President Obama to suspend deportations of all those who would be potential citizens under immigration reform, and to address a plan to do so in his speech. Norton was joined by five of her congressional colleagues on the call, who were among the 28 members of Congress who co-signed a December 2013 letter to the president asking him to suspend the deportations and expand the successful deferred action program. Norton said she hopes the President will press for immigration reform in tomorrow's State of the Union speech, and that his ongoing work for immigration reform is inconsistent with continuing deportations. She said that the president has already shown he has considerable prosecutorial and administrative authority, and that suspending deportations of those who would be citizens under immigration reform is well within his executive authority.

"The separation of families becomes even more tragic as they are ripped apart just before immigration reform," said Norton. "Suspending deportations would equate to a cease fire just before permanent relief."

Published: January 27, 2014