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Frank Sharry Reacts to Immigration Remarks in SOTU Address

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The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, in response to the immigration portion of tonight’s State of the Union address:

We didn’t expect much from the speech on immigration reform, and the President met our expectations.  But we understand.  In the crazy world of Washington, DC, the more he says about immigration reform, the more Republicans are likely to resist it.  In fact, you could say that he wants immigration reform legislation so badly, he downplayed it in the speech.  In any case, his call for reform would have been even stronger had he said he would use his pen and phone to stop deporting immigrants who are on the cusp of legalizing their status under pending legislation.

The bottom line is that the most important event this week regarding the fate of immigration reform is not the State of the Union speech in the U.S. Capitol, but the House Republican retreat in Maryland.  That’s where the House Republicans will review draft principles and decide whether to move forward on reform.  The ball is in their court.