Returning to his native Hawaii for his winter vacation, Obama was greeted by a handful of supporters who cheered him for his executive actions on immigration. The group, Hawaii Coalition for Immigration Reform, braved rain and wind Monday to hold signs thanking the president for his decision to shield up to several million undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The group held the gathering at a shopping area near the Obamas' vacation compound in Kailua on Monday and caught the president's motorcade on his way to the gym.
"In light of the fact that Congress refused to take action, we believe President Obama took the right and legal giant step to move our nation's immigration policy in the direction which benefits everyone in our state and country," said Stan Bain, a retired clergyman and member of Faith Action for Community Equity.
There are approximately 21,000 undocumented immigrants living in Hawaii, according to the Migration Policy Institute, and about 7,000 would qualify for deportation relief under the Obama administration's policies: 3,000 younger immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and 4,000 parents of U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The Washington Post