Obama's immigration plan sparks Tea Party rebellion in the GOP

Obama's immigration plan sparks Tea Party rebellion in the GOP
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) isn't even majority leader yet, but he is already facing a rebellion from Tea Party members of Congress who are livid about President Obama's unilateral moves to reform the U.S.'s immigration system and allow some five million undocumented immigrants remain in the States.

As Robert Costa of The Washington Post reports, Republican Party leaders are struggling to rein in right-wing conservatives who want to strike back at Obama by threatening a government shutdown or even trying to impeach the president, moves that party elders believe could backfire. Then there are the impolitic remarks coming from the likes of Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) — who said Obama's executive action would invite millions of "illiterate" immigrants to the U.S. — which could further erode the party's standing with Latinos.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.