Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has condemned US President Barack Obama's use of executive powers to force through immigration reform.

The conservative leader said the action sabotages any chance of enacting cross-party reforms and damages the presidency itself.

Mr Obama's plan means more than 4m illegal immigrants in the US will be allowed to apply for work permits.

But Mr Boehner said it would encourage more people to arrive unlawfully.

"We have a broken immigration system and the American people expect us to work together to fix it," Mr Boehner told reporters on Friday, saying Mr Obama had acted unilaterally "like a king or emperor" and not through a democratic process.

"The action by the president yesterday will only encourage more people to come here illegally," Mr Boehner said. "[It] also punishes those who have obeyed the law and waited their turn."

The Republican leader said Mr Obama's actions fail to to take into account the wishes of the American people, adding it is not the first time the US leader has acted without the consent of Congress.

"All year long I have warned the president that by taking unilateral action on matters such as his healthcare law or by threatening action repeatedly on immigration, he was making it impossible to build the trust necessary to work together," Mr Boehner said.

Under Mr Obama's new immigration plan, undocumented parents of children who are US citizens or permanent legal residents will be able to apply for work permits lasting three years.

There are estimated to be 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.

More than 4m of them are expected to benefit from the reform package forced through using executive orders, which allow Mr Obama to bypass Congress.

Only parents who have lived in the US for five years will qualify.

Some 3.7 million people are thought to be eligible for this scheme, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Another part of the package will extend a program that gives temporary legal status to people who arrived in the US as children.

Currently only those under the age of 30 who arrived before 2007 can apply for the program, which was launched in 2012 and already covers roughly 1.2 million people.

Mr Obama has abolished the age limit and extended the cut-off point to 2010, potentially extending the program to a further 300,000 people.

The US leader said in a televised address that his measures would allow illegal immigrants to "come out of the shadows and get right with the law".

He insisted that his proposals, which are the biggest immigration reforms since the mid-1980s, did not amount to an amnesty.

"What I'm describing is accountability, a common-sense, middle ground approach," he said.

Mr Obama's plan does not go as far as an immigration bill that failed to pass Congress last year.

The bill was supported by the Democrat-led Senate, but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to debate the proposal.

The vast majority of illegal immigrants in the US come from Mexico, according to figures supplied by Homeland Security.

They made up 59% of undocumented people in 2012, followed by El Salvador (6%), Guatemala (5%), then Honduras and Philippines (3%). (Source: BBC News)

Hispanics welcome Obama immigration action, with reservations

LOS ANGELES--Many Hispanics are welcoming the announcement by President Barack Obama that will shield millions of undocumented residents from deportation.

The president's announcement Thursday will provide temporary relief for up to 5 million people illegally living in the United States.

“It does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently," Obama said, "or offer the same benefits that citizens receive. Only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you."

The president is bypassing Congress and exercising his administrative authority, a move his critics say offers amnesty to those who broke the law.

The president says mass amnesty is not fair, but neither is its alternative.

“Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability, a common-sense middle group approach," he said.

In California's largest city, Los Angeles, many immigrants gathered to watch the televised announcement. While some are applauding, others have reservations.

Diana Ramos, 23 and born in Mexico, said the action will help her parents, who are undocumented but have children who are U.S. citizens. That qualifies them for relief under the plan.

“This brings a lot of hope for my family that we won’t have to live with fear anymore," she said.

Pilar Galvez, a U.S. citizen born in El Salvador, said the move will help many who have entered the United States from her native country.

“I am happy that Obama is doing this for families that are working hard to bring better [things] for their families to and bring better to the United States," she said.

In Houston, Texas, another state with a large Hispanic population, Jesus Mejia, a Guatemalan immigrant, was pleased with the president.

He said it is something good, that it is human to understand the situation of an immigrant who came to the United States out of necessity.

But Teresa, a U.S. citizen who came from Ecuador and gave only her first name, wondered if the president was delaying lasting reform by not working with Congress.

Both should be in agreement to produce a plan that will benefit many people, she said. She also worries about undocumented migrants with criminal backgrounds staying in the country.

Obama said his plan will couple tougher border enforcement with deportation of criminals.

But congressional Republicans said they were outraged at the move and accused the president of overreaching his authority.

Xiomara Corpeno of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles called the president’s action an important step, but said a lasting solution must do more.

“We know that it has to be bipartisan," Corpeno said. "The Republicans just need to wake up and realize that if they want to include everyone in this country, they need to pass immigration reform.

Obama said he hopes that will happen. Republicans in Congress say it may now be harder. (Source: VOA News)

Story Date: November 24, 2014