Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I met Nancy Pelosi when I was in Washington. I understand her views because clearly what is happening on the Mexican border is playing very negatively in the immigration debate. The possibility of the US President taking executive action is something I discussed with his domestic policy adviser, Cecilia Muñoz, who leads on the issue of immigration. The position is that there are 11 million undocumented people. I am told there are deportations at the rate of approximately 1,200 per day at the moment. This is also a major issue in many communities and neighbourhoods with large immigrant populations. Clearly there is pressure on the US President and the White House to take executive action to address the issue. As I understand it, the President has said that if Congress does not legislate, he will have to consider taking some executive action. The nature of that action is obviously something to which we are not a party.

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