After pro-immigration hecklers interrupted President Obama’s speech in Chicago. The president listened to the hecklers then pointed out to them that they either don’t have the facts or have not been paying attention.
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The president responded to the immigration hecklers by saying,
You’re absolutely right. There have been significant numbers of deportations, but what you haven’t been paying attention to is the fact that I just took an action to change the law, so that’s point number one.
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The point is though I understand why you might have yelled at me a month ago, although I disagree with some of your characterizations, it doesn’t make much sense to yell at me right now when we’re making changes. But the point is, let’s make sure you get the facts so you know exactly what we’re doing and then if you have disagreements then you can work through all off the immigrants rights organizations that we work with to try to address some of your concerns. But here’s what won’t work. What won’t work is folks just shouting at each other. I’ve been respectful. I’ve responded to your questions. I’d ask you now to let me speak to all of the other people who are here.
There is a point where the people who continue to protest and heckle President Obama become counter-productive to their cause. When are the immigration activists going to start interrupting John Boehner’s public appearances? It is Speaker Boehner who is blocking a vote on the Senate passed immigration reform bill.
President Obama has taken all the executive action that he can on immigration. There is nothing left for the president to do. He took executive action. He has been pressing John Boehner to allow a vote on the immigration reform bill before the end of the year. Obama has done everything that he can legally do.
Protesting President Obama on this issue is a pointless exercise. Obama was correct. The hecklers either don’t have the facts or have not been paying attention. If the immigration activists want real change, they need to move on from Obama and start targeting congressional Republicans.
President Obama has already acted. It is time for the activists to demand that Speaker Boehner do the same.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
