President Barack Obama said Tuesday time was running short on immigration.
The Hill reported:
President Obama on Tuesday said the House has a “very narrow window” of two or three months to move forward on immigration reform.
“The closer we get to midterm elections, the harder it will be to get things done,” Obama said during a meeting with more than 40 law enforcement officials Tuesday at the White House.
The president tailored his remarks to the audience, arguing that having to focus on immigration enforcement was stopping police from “chasing gang bangers and going after violent criminals.”
“Our broken immigration system makes it harder for our law enforcement agencies to do their job,” Obama said.
It was the latest in a series of meetings between Obama and stakeholder groups as the White House tries to whip up support for immigration reform.White House officials are hopeful they can pressure Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who has voiced support for reform on the issue, to move on legislation approved last year by the Senate. But Boehner has said repeatedly that the House will not vote on the Senate bill and that the president needs to reestablish trust with GOP lawmakers for there to be any chance of an immigration bill.