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HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — President Barack Obama is shrugging off Republican criticism of his actions to lift the threat of deportation from millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States.
Obama tells ABC it was important that he act unilaterally to prioritize the deportation of criminals and recent arrivals and spare those who have lived here illegally for at least five years and have roots, including children who are American citizens. As he puts it, "Why we would prefer a system in which they're in the shadows, potentially taking advantage of living here but not contributing?"
The president points to executive orders issued by Democratic and Republican predecessors and says presidents exercise "prosecutorial discretion all the time."
But Republican Sen. Ted Cruz tells Fox News that "Essentially he's gotten in the job of counterfeiting immigration papers, because there's no legal authority to do what he's doing."
A second Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham says his party shares the blame for failing to get an immigration bill through the House.
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