Yes, he said it. Clearly.
“…for me to simply, through executive order, ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President.”
“I’m not the emperor… My job is to execute laws that are passed.”
“My job in the executive branch is supposed to be to carry out the laws that are passed.”
“I would be ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally…there is a path to get this done and that is through Congress.”
He was unambiguous.
With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed — and I know that everybody here at Bell is studying hard so you know that we’ve got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch’s job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws. There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply, through executive order, ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President.
Barak Obama, March 28, 2011, in a Univision Town Hall months before taking action to keep “The Dreamers” (those who came illegally to the U.S. as children) from being deported, saying the nation’s laws would not allow him to do that. (Video below.)
The Tea Party Lawyer 