House Dems to Obama: Meet with immigrants whose families have been deported

Forty-two House Democrats urged President Obama to meet with immigrants whose family members have been deported as he weighs issuing an executive action on immigration.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) spearheaded a letter signed by 41 other members to pressure Obama to hear directly from people affected by U.S. deportation policies after repeated delays to issue executive action, most recently until after the November elections.

{mosads}”While your administration has the authority to lessen the harm our broken immigration system causes, the decision to delay action exacerbates the fear and anguish felt in our communities,” the lawmakers wrote. “As the threat of deportation lingers, we respectfully request that you meet with families who live with that fear every single day, and to listen to their stories.”

The House Democrats argued that simply meeting with the families would provide reassurance that the administration would act on the issue.

“Given the ever-rising needs of families caught in limbo, we believe that this gesture will provide solace to those who worry that executive action will never come,” they wrote.