President Obama has done all that he can to change immigration policy through executive action, the White House said Wednesday in response to questions about Hillary Clinton’s pledge to go even further.
Clinton on Tuesday backed Obama’s executive actions and said she would be willing to expand them to provide deportation relief to parents of young immigrants who brought to the U.S. illegally, known as “Dreamers,” if Congress does not pass a bill.
{mosads}Obama’s 2014 executive actions provided benefits to parents of U.S. citizens and expanded eligibility for a deferred deportation program for Dreamers.
But a legal memo from the White House said it did not have the authority to grant relief to the parents of Dreamers.
“The president’s views on this have not changed,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday.
When asked if it would be illegal to expand on Obama’s executive actions, Earnest said, “That will be something for future president and future courts to decide.”
The president’s 2014 executive actions have been frozen by a lawsuit pending in federal court.
“We continue to be confident in our legal position and our legal arguments,” Earnest said.
Earnest said the White House is “heartened by the fact that Secretary Clinton so forcefully supported the president’s executive actions.”