Representative John Carter Leaves Gang of Eight Immigration Reform Group

Republican Representative John Carter of Round Rock has withdrawn from a bipartisan House group working on comprehensive immigration reform.

Carter, who has been part of the “gang of eight” for just over four years, joined another resigning member in blaming President Barrack Obama for the departure. Carter and Representative Sam Johnson of Plano issued a joint press release Friday. In it, the two said, “Instead of doing what’s right for America, President Obama time and again has unilaterally disregarded the U.S. Constitution, the letter of the law and bypassed the Congress…in order to advance his political agenda. We will not tolerate it.”

Carter’s spokesperson, Sara Threadgill, says Carter’s resignation has nothing to do with backlash from Tea Party conservatives unhappy with pending House legislation that would provide a so-called “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants. Some question that, however, as Carter’s decision came just three days after the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee revoked its endorsement of Carter and called him a “turncoat”.

Carter received heavy criticism from Tea Party groups following an August 20 town hall meeting in Salado in which he presented the pending House legislation, including the proposed path to citizenship: a five-year quasi-probation period for confessed illegal immigrants who wish to remain in the U.S.