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Happening Now: DREAMers Occupying Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)'s Office Over Executive Action

by Americas's Voice on

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Today, Senators Richard Blumnethal (D-CT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent their own letter to Obama asking the president to use his executive authority on immigration, thereby bolstering law enforcement and enhancing public safety.  The letter comes a day after a similar effort from different Democratic Senators, and a week after such a move from House Democrats.  The president’s party is lining up behind him as he prepares to take action, something Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid underscored today when he told reporters that Obama should move “as fast as he can” while going “as big as he can.”

Some Democrats, however, are still moving timidly, asking Obama to wait until at least next year.  Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), for example, told The Hill today that the president should delay.  As he said:

If I were the president, what I’d say to the Congress — House, Senate, Democrat or Republican — I’m going to give you a little bit of time and in the new Congress expect you to do something.  I would say not the first month, maybe the first quarter.

It’s a strange suggestion, because everyone knows that Republicans will not be moving on immigration legislation anytime soon.  They can’t.  They’ve already had nearly two years to take action, and they’ve refused to.  That’s why Obama must act — because millions of families are at risk of separation if he doesn’t.

DREAMers with United We Dream took that message to Sen. Carper’s Washington, DC office today, occupying the office and letting him know that #wecantwait.  View photos of their action below and tweet at @SenatorCarper to tell him that we need executive action now.