The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide analysis regarding the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system.
The House of Representatives voted 219 to 197 on largely party lines to approve a bill from Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) that blocks President Obama’s executive action on immigration. Three Democrats voted in favor of the measure while seven Republicans voted against it; three members voted present.
Yoho’s bill effectively states that no president has the authority to give protected status to millions of immigrants, but it is so broad that immigration experts warn it could affect immigrants who benefit from other forms of relief. As MSNBC’s Benjy Sarlin reports, the bill could affect “battered spouses and abused children petitioning for a visa through the Violence Against Women Act, victims of human trafficking, or even just immigrants applying to adjust their legal status through marriage.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already said the Senate will not vote on this bill. During debate on the measure, Yoho said, “To vote no against the bill is to vote no against the Constitution.” But Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) said, “Apparently the majority prefers to take symbolic votes instead of legislating real and lasting solutions.”
