Implementation of President Obama’s new executive action on immigration will begin sometime next year, and a number of Democratic mayors led by New York City’s Bill de Blasio met this week to share and discuss coordination efforts. Read more from MSNBC: “Mayors to make Obama immigration order a reality“:
Mayors and senior officials from 25 cities across the country met Monday in New York to rally support and lay the groundwork for implementing President Obama’s executive actions to provide relief to millions of undocumented immigrants nationwide.
Brought together by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the summit connected city officials who represent some of the largest immigrant populations in the country in a coalition currently made up exclusively of Democratic lawmakers. Cities United for Immigration Action, formed earlier this month, builds on a larger effort from municipalities to push comprehensive immigration reform in the wake of congressional inaction.
“The president’s action is a strong beginning and will affect millions,” de Blasio said in a press conference from Gracie Mansion Monday. “It’s also a gateway to something much greater: Comprehensive immigration reform.”
The summit marks the formal launch of what de Blasio has dubbed a “mayoral war room” designed as a forum for local leaders to swap tips on how to prepare for once the millions of immigrants who qualify for the president’s actions are able to begin the application process, expected as soon as February. Leaders hope to kick off a social media campaign to spur action and awareness across the country. Also in February, elected officials are planning a “Mayoral Lobby Day” for city officials to ascend on Capitol Hill and lobby members of Congress who do not support comprehensive immigration reform.
“Five million people — that’s absolutely extraordinary. We stand by the president for taking such bold action and I think the consensus of the room is that this is the beginning,” de Blasio said. “The fact that we went from zero to 5 million with the stroke of a pen is a transcendent, historical moment for this country.”
These mayors are from entirely different parts of the country, but they’re all from #CitiesforAction. pic.twitter.com/8VZDjXXl3M
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 9, 2014
