The White House said Tuesday that President Obama was just being chatty last week when he told protesters in Chicago that he had “changed” immigration law through his executive actions.
“I think he was speaking colloquially,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. “Obviously … it’s the responsibility of the United States Congress to pass laws. And it’s the responsibility of the executive branch to implement and enforce them.”
During a speech in Chicago last week, Mr. Obama was interrupted by protesters who complained his executive action didn’t go far enough in granting legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. The president tried to quiet the demonstrators by telling them, “I just took action to change the law.”
“The way the change in the law works is that we’re re-prioritizing how we enforce our immigration laws generally,” Mr. Obama went on to say.
The president’s spokesman said the practical effect of Mr. Obama’s actions has been to change its impact on nearly 5 million people who were living in the U.S. illegally.
“The impact of the law certainly has been changed on the way that it effects millions of people who were in the country,” Mr. Earnest said. “I think that’s what the president was alluding to.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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