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President Barack Obama, who will act on immigration reform by the end of the year, has not reviewed final administration recommendations on immigration but is aware of the general details in the expected plan, says a senior White House official who is traveling with the President in Myanmar.

"It's not like this is the Academy Awards," said the official, meaning that the contents of the envelope are not a surprise.

Citing his legal authority as chief executive of the United States, Obama said in a press conference in Myanmar Friday that he would act on immigration reform by the end of the year.

"I believe that America is a nation of immigrants," the President said. Everybody agrees that the system is broken; there has been ample opportunity for Congress to pass a bipartisan immigration bill that would strengthen our borders, improve the legal immigration system and lift millions of people out of the shadows so that they are paying taxes and getting right by the law."

The senior White House official who spoke to CNN said that any executive action could come as soon as next week. What's clear, said the official on Friday, is that the President is not going to act to bypass lawmakers and implement changes on his own while he is overseas. The White House is also not going to yield to threats of a shutdown.

Warnings from Republicans are not affecting White House plans, according to the official, who said the White House is not going to command less in the executive action order just to appease furious lawmakers. Obama Friday encouraged Congress to act on immigration and said he told Republican congressional leaders that he was interested in working on a legislative solution, but without that he would act.

"I indicated to (House) Speaker (John) Boehner several months ago that if in fact Congress failed to act I would use all the lawful authority that I possess to try and make the system work better. And that's gonna happen, that's gonna happen before the end of the year," said Obama.

The senior White House official said that before issuing any order the president will review his administration's proposals for extending deportation relief to undocumented immigrants with American-born children and those who entered the United States as children themselves.

Another senior administration official told CNN that the main contours of the executive action are three-fold: direct immigration agents to allow parents of children who are American citizens to obtain documents that allows them to stay in the United States legally, protect illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and make clear deportation should still be the policy for convicted criminals

Though the general details of the plan are known, it is still in flux, and may change by the time it is announced, according to two other sources briefed on the subject who shared more in-depth details under consideration with CNN.

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Immigration waiting game could end soon

TIME Politics Immigration Report: Obama Set to Go It Alone on Immigration Sara Ramirez, of Gaithersburg, Md., rallies for comprehensive immigration reform outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7, 2014 Jacquelyn MartinAP The White House could make the move as early as next week

President Barack Obama is poised to unilaterally overhaul American immigration policy, according to several reports Thursday, in a long-anticipated move that would ignore his Republican critics and could allow up to 5 million undocumented immigrants to stay in the country.

The New York Times, citing unnamed Administration officials, reports that Obama intends as early as next week to announce plans to substantially refocus immigration enforcement involving some 12,000 agents and reduce the risk of deportation for millions of immigrants.

As many as 3.3 million parents of children who are American citizens or legal residents would be able to obtain legal work documents under the plan, the Times adds. Many immigrants with high-tech skills or who came to the U.S. as children could also be affected by the plan.

Obama has infuriated Republicans by pledging executive action on immigration if Congress does not pass a comprehensive reform bill. TIMEs Alex Altman wrote this week on the widely expected move, as well as the likely pushback from the soon-to-be Republican-controlled Congress:

The pressure on Obama to delay executive action is likely to build. Republican leaders say that skirting Congress to go it alone would ignite a controversy that jeopardizes the chances for cooperation between the President and the new GOP Congressional majority on a host of issues. Its like waving a red flag in front of a bull, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said. Immigration will be a touchstone in confirmation hearings for Loretta Lynch, Obamas pick for Attorney General. Tea Party conservatives in the Senate signaled they plan to use the hearings to press Lynch on her views of the Presidents executive authority on immigration.

Enacting sweeping changes to immigration law just weeks after the party was rebuked by voters at the polls could spark a blowback from voters. In one recent survey, conducted by Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, 74% of respondents said they preferred Obama to work with Congress to retool a broken immigration system rather than maneuvering around the legislative branch.

Even some seasoned Democrats seem a bit skittish about the idea. Over a sea-bass lunch Friday with congressional leaders in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, Obama told Boehner that his patience in waiting for the House to act on immigration had run out. At that point, according to a source familiar with the meeting, Vice President Joe Biden piped up to ask how long Republicans would need to craft immigration legislation prompting the President to shoot Biden a look that closed the discussion.

Read more at the New York Times

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Report: Obama Set to Go It Alone on Immigration

By Jeremy Diamond, CNN

updated 9:45 AM EST, Fri November 14, 2014

Washington (CNN) -- When President Barack Obama takes executive action on immigration reform by the end of the year, one senior administration official thinks no one will be shocked at what the orders say.

"It's not like this is the Academy Awards," a senior White House official said Friday, referring to the letter-opening reveal surprise of Oscar winners.

The senior official also said that media reports including CNN's that Obama will take three key steps on immigration reform are not off base.

Those components include directing immigration agents to allow parents of children who are American citizens to be able to stay in the United States legally, protecting undocumented residents who came to the United States as children and ensuring deportations will continue to be the policy for convicted criminals.

The final number of immigrants shielded will be affected by restrictions such as whether people with police infractions such as a DUI can qualify, sources said.

Obama's plan would also expand visas for workers in specific fields like the tech industry.

The official cautioned that Obama still has to review the details of the proposed plan before he makes a decision on the specific actions he will take to shield some undocumented immigrants from deportation.

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Immigration action: Not like the 'Academy Awards'

Republicans Unable To Deter Obama On Immigration Reform

By: Phil Owens

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Republicans Unable To Deter Obama On Immigration Reform - Video

Washington President Obama appears set to go big on immigration policy, even though a unilateral move is sure to stir up furious opposition from Republicans, who will soon have full control of Congress.

That picture became clearer Thursday as news reports cited Obama administration sources saying the president's promised executive action could provide legal status for as many as 5 million immigrants who currently lack it.

The move could win Mr. Obama resounding praise from pro-immigrant groups, but would draw intense opposition from Republicans and further sour relations between the president and lawmakers on issues that go well beyond immigration.

Both sides agree on the need for immigration reform, which could pair new border-security efforts with an acknowledgement that many immigrants now in the United States illegally should be granted legal residency and potential paths toward citizenship.

But with legislative efforts currently stalled, Obama pledged to take actions on his own after last weeks election. His announcement could come next week.

According to reports from The New York Times and Fox News, a centerpiece of Obamas expected announcement will be to grant a reprieve to the parents of children who are US citizens or legal residents. They would no longer need to fear deportation when they seek jobs.

Republican critics call Obamas anticipated move a nuclear option on a sensitive issue that deserves to be settled through traditional legislation.

A new Christian Science Monitor/TIPP poll finds that most Americans agree with that view.

The Obama administration has said any executive action can be superseded by legislation that is signed into law, and it has encouraged the Republican-led House to act on comprehensive reforms that have passed the Senate.

House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio warned last week that an executive action would poison the well, reducing rather than enhancing the chances for legislation to pass. Still, he acknowledged an urgent need for the nation to have immigration reform.

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Immigration: Against GOP warnings, Obama appears set to go big