Hillary Clinton offered her firm backing Thursday of President Barack Obama 's plan to issue an executive action to overhaul the nation 's immigration system . `` I support the President¹s decision to begin fixing our broken immigration system and focus finite resources on deporting felons rather than families , '' Clinton said in a statement emailed to reporters after Obama finished his prime time address on the topic . `` I was hopeful that the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate in 2013 would spur the House of Representatives to act , but they refused even to advance an alternative . '' Clinton went on to argue that although Congress was n't able to `` finish the job by passing permanent bipartisan reform , '' she is `` confident that people of good will and good faith can yet find common ground . '' Shortly after the speech ended , Clinton sent a tweet with a similar message . `` Thanks to POTUS for taking action on immigration in the face of inaction , '' she tweeted . `` Now let 's turn to permanent bipartisan reform . # ImmigrationAction '' The fact that Clinton -- the prohibitive favorite for the Democrats ' nomination in 2016 -- sent a paper statement on the issue is in itself telling . Since leaving the State Department in early 2013 , Clinton has rarely issued statements to reporters in favor of using her high profile speeches to address issues in the news . But immigration has been an issue that followed Clinton for much of the last year . After telling NPR earlier this year that she would support looking at deportations for immigrant children coming to the United States , the former Secretary of State 's appearances became frequent venues for immigration protests . `` I think it should be looked at as part of an overall package , '' she told NPR in July . In North Carolina and then again a few days later in Maryland , protesters interrupted Clinton 's stump speech to call for her to come out against deportations . `` Choose families over politics , '' read one sign in Maryland . The protesters were usually from United We Dream , a pro-immigration reform group . Clinton responded in Maryland by stating that immigration is an `` important issue . '' `` If they would have just waited a little while , I was getting to the DREAM Act , '' Clinton said . `` I am really proud to be in a state who has opened the doors of opportunity to students who work and study hard regardless of their parents immigration status . ''
Clinton issued a statement and tweeted her support of Obama 's immigration announcement . Immigration is an issue that has followed Clinton this year in interviews and in protests .