WASHINGTON — Senior White House adviser Dan Pfeifer said Sunday that President Obama will make a decision by the end of the summer on how to use his authority to address immigrants living illegally in the United States.
Pfeiffer called reports that Obama might delay the deportation of up to 5 million immigrants ‘‘uninformed speculation.’’ He said Obama is waiting for recommendations from Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson, but any actions would be within ‘‘the confines of the law.’’
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,’’ Pfeiffer said Obama has no choice but to act on his own because of Congress’s ‘‘failure to fix the immigration system’’ and to provide extra money to deal with Central American children crossing the US-Mexico border.
House Republicans on Friday approved a bill to address the problem of unattended children crossing the Mexican border.
The measure would allocate $694 million for border security efforts, including $35 million for the National Guard, and also clear the way for eventual deportation of more than 700,000 immigrants brought here illegally as children.
The Senate shelved its own bill on emergency border funds, which means no final congressional action will occur until lawmakers return from their five-week summer break.