The White House is reaching out to major companies in an effort to expand the executive power of the president in solving the immigration crisis and rally support for Obama’s go-in alone action on the issue.
Politico is reporting that Senior White House officials have met with companies such as Intel, Cisco, and Accenture, who say they have a fix to many of the problems plaguing immigration such as the collection of unused green cards.
Senior administration officials have had “listening sessions” with over 20 business leaders as they plan to put forth a plethora of executive orders starting in September. The Obama administration’s plea with big business to support the president’s aggressive action on immigration reform could be a sign that the White House is preparing for serious backlash this November.
White House spokesman Shawn Turner said:
“The president has not made a decision regarding next steps, but he believes it’s important to understand and consider the full range of perspectives on potential solutions...The meetings were in keeping with the president’s commitment to do whatever he can, within the constraints of the law, to address the immigration issue.”
The president’s timing has Senate Democrats worried any executive action taken by Obama could sway independent voters in key Senate races such as North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alaska.