Rep. Luis Gutierrez: Let’s unite in asking Obama to stop deportations

A day after Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) declared that prospects for immigration reform are dead this year, he made one last appeal to House Republicans and told advocates to unite in calling on President Barack Obama to stop deportations.

“We are willing and ready and able to come back to the table,” Gutierrez said at a press conference Thursday, directing his message to House Republicans. “But in the interim period, I am calling upon all of the immigration movement to set their eyes on one thing and one priority, and that is stopping the deportations.”

Gutierrez’s comments come a day before the one-year anniversary of the Senate approval of a bipartisan immigration reform bill. Pro-immigration reform organizations are planning to host actions throughout the country this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary and to call for administrative relief from deportations.

SEE ALSO: Rep. Gutierrez declared that immigration reform is dead this year

Three months ago, Gutierrez called on Republicans to take action on immigration reform before the July 4 recess, which is a few days away. Obama and other Democrats gave House Republicans until August. But over the last several months, no immigration reform legislation has made it to the House floor.

Instead, Gutierrez said Republicans continue to criticize Obama for his executive orders, including one that allows Dreamers to stay and work in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Earlier this week, House Speaker John Boehner announced that House Republicans planned to sue Obama for failing to “faithfully execute the laws” by issuing a number of executive orders.

Gutierrez added that House Republicans have also been using the unaccompanied minors crisis going on at the Southwest border as a way delay immigration reform. On Wednesday, Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) led a House Judiciary Committee hearing where Gutierrez said Republicans “criminalized and exploited the humanitarian crisis on our border.” They also blamed Obama for the influx of unaccompanied minors crossing the border, saying his enforcement policies led children to believe that they won’t be deported once they reach the U.S.

It’s time for Obama to take ‘bold actions’

Now, with no hope of passing immigration reform legislation this year, Gutierrez said it is time for Obama to take action to stem deportations. He said one action Obama can take is expand the DACA program to benefit undocumented parents.

When asked Thursday when he expects Obama to take action, Gutierrez said: “As quickly as possible.”

Obama has indicated he is willing to use his executive powers to address deportations if Congress doesn’t pass immigration reform legislation this year. Last month, he directed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to hold off on completing a review of the administration’s deportation policies until the end of the summer to give Republicans time to consider immigration reform in the House.

SEE ALSO: Obama puts DHS review of deportations on hold

Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Raul Grijalva of Arizona, who joined Gutierrez at Thursday’s press conference, insisted that Republicans “have done nothing” on immigration reform this year. They called on Obama to take “bold actions” to reduce deportations.

“We have to do something about this issue,” said Grijalva, adding that administrative relief from deportations is “the last option.”

Also attending Thursday’s press conference were immigration reform advocates, who discussed what’s next for the immigration reform movement.

Mehrdad Azemun, national field director for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, said there will be rallies, events, protest and civic engagement events held this weekend in more than 30 cities throughout the country to call for an end to deportations and family separation.

“Our communities are sick and tired of seeing our families separated and our communities torn apart, so our groups are joining with their partners all across the spectrum to take action,” he said.

Clarissa Martinez-De Castro, director of civic engagement and immigration at the National Council of La Raza, said her group is gearing up to join other national organizations in issuing a score card that will show what members of Congress did, or didn’t do, to push for immigration reform. The score card will be issued at the end of July and will be distributed to Latino voters ahead of the elections in November.

“Republicans are not getting off easy,” Martinez-De Castro said. “They will be constantly reminded through actions, rallies, visits, phone banks of the consequences of their inactions.”

SEE ALSO: How would Kevin McCarthy deal with immigration reform?