Battle lines drawn for race to the White House as 2016 hopefuls respond to Obama's immigration plan

When US President Barack Obama unveiled his immigration plan and Republican rivals howled their disapproval, the drama signalled not just a clash of political positions: it kicked off the 2016 presidential campaign. Several likely Republican White House contenders - and a very prominent Democrat, Hillary Clinton - provided some of the most visible early reactions to the president's controversial executive order. Their statements helped draw the battle lines of Washington's immigration warfare that is sure to extend all the way to the next national election, when Republicans will be seeking to end their eight-year White House drought. And how both parties handle the divisive issue may decide their presidential nominees. Democrats appear eager to lock in the Hispanic vote early. "I support the president's decision to begin fixing our broken immigration system and focus finite resources on deporting felons rather than families," Clinton, the 2016 Democratic frontrunner, said shortly after Obama's announcement. Clinton often declines to weigh in quickly on sensitive issues, keeping her options open ahead of a likely declaration of her candidacy next year. There was no hesitation on immigration, as she justified her support of the plan by calling congressional inaction an "abdication of responsibility" on the part of House Republicans. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a potential presidential challenger from the left, also said action was needed due to House Republicans failing to act after the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill last year. "If House Republicans won't do their jobs, it's time for the president to do his," she said. Republicans claim they want to return the presidency to its constitutional principles and leave the legislating to Congress, a paramount guide post for conservatives who feel Obama has abused his executive authority. "President Obama is not above the law and has no right to issue executive amnesty," Senator Rand Paul, a "tea party" favourite for 2016, said of Obama's plan to temporarily shield millions of undocumented migrants from deportation. Paul is in a tricky spot. For months, he has positioned himself as his party's compassionate supporter of minority groups. But opposing Obama's plan could put Paul at odds with an increasingly influential Hispanic voting bloc, 71 per cent of whom voted for Obama in 2012. And yet in order to win the nomination, Republican presidential contenders will need to prevail in primary races where core party values are key. Democrats may well have fast-tracked Obama's deportation deferment in order to force Republicans into an internal war, pitting House Speaker John Boehner against his caucus's rebellious conservative faction. Boehner is aware that a conservative plan to insert anti-immigration language into must-pass spending bills could provoke a government shutdown, a potential disaster for Republicans just as the party takes control of both chambers of Congress next January following victory in midterm elections. Squeezed in the middle are presidential brother Jeb Bush, a former state governor who has emerged as a leader of substance for the Republican Party, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican author of the Senate comprehensive immigration bill loathed by many conservatives. Both are believed to be considering White House runs. Bush called Obama's unilateral action "ill-advised", but also said that "action must come in the form of bipartisan comprehensive reform passed through Congress". "We must demonstrate to Americans we are the party that will tackle serious challenges and build broad-based consensus," Bush said. President Barack Obama defends use of executive authority to relax immigration policy US President Barack Obama staunchly defended his unilateral move to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation, pledging to implement his plan despite furious criticism from opponents. The controversial overhaul, praised by many immigration rights activists, provides three-year relief for millions of undocumented people who have lived in the country for more than five years and have children who are US citizens or legal residents. According to the president, it also channels more resources to the US border with Mexico and shifts deportation priorities towards expelling criminals. "I have come back to Del Sol to tell you, I'm not giving up. I will never give up," Obama insisted at the Las Vegas, Nevada high school where he launched his immigration reform efforts two years ago. "We're going to keep on working with members of Congress to make permanent reform a reality," he added. "But until that day comes, there are actions that I have the legal authority to take that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just, and this morning I began to take some of those actions." He wasted little time, signing two elements of the orders. "Don't let all the rhetoric fool you," Obama said, referring to repeated Republican claims that the administration has done little to beef up border security or stem illegal crossings. Republicans have nevertheless heaped scorn on the plan, calling it "executive amnesty", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". Already emboldened by their sweeping midterm election victory, Republicans vowed to thwart Obama's plans. "With this action, the president has chosen to deliberately sabotage any chance of enacting bipartisan reforms he claims to seek," House Speaker John Boehner declared.

Battle lines drawn for race to the White House as 2016 hopefuls respond to Obama's immigration plan

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Battle lines drawn for US presidential campaign as likely contenders react to Obama's plan to shield millions of migrants from deportation

Battle lines drawn for US presidential campaign as likely contenders react to Obama's plan to shield millions of migrants from deportation