President to outline executive order on immigration reform

FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) -- President Barack Obama is expected to announce major immigration policy changes Thursday, under a controversial executive order.

Republicans are fighting back already, even threatening to impeach the president.

There is probably no place better to see immigrants at work than in the Central California Ag fields. For many of those and other immigrants the president is expecting to extend current deportation protection and give out work permits. This could benefit as many as 5 million immigrants nationwide.

"So, what I'm gonna lay out is what is the things I can do with my lawful authority as president to make the system work better even as I work with congress and encourage them to get a bipartisan comp bill that can solve the entire problem," The President said from the White House Wednesday.

For years Obama has talked about the need for immigration reform. Even though the senate passed its own plan last year congress has done nothing with it. So the president says he must do this under an executive order.

"So if congress is not doing the work, I think Obama is right to do it right now," said immigration reform advocate Leonel Flores. "Why? Because, every day thousands of people (are) suffering. Everyday fathers and mothers has been deported."

Flores has led several May Day rallies in downtown Fresno, calling for reform, calling for any path that helps hard working immigrants continue to benefit the economy in a legal way.

But republicans on capitol hill are already fighting mad. Despite similar actions from both republican and democratic presidents in the past some say Obama is far overstepping this time.

"This is a quantum leap away from current law and away from the notion of separation of powers," said Congressman Tom McClintock. "Congress does not get to enforce the laws and the president does not get to make the laws."

Republicans say they will check the president if they must.