Comprehensive immigration reform is not coming any time soon, says Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.). But that doesn’t mean President Barack Obama cannot use his discretionary power to end deportations of young people, he says.

Gutierrez called for the president to issue such an order last night at a rally in Chicago organized by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other community and immigrant rights groups in Chicago. Long known as a champion for immigrants’ rights, Gutierrez argued that while legislative movement on immigration reform is unlikely now, given the current composition of Congress, it is possible for President Obama to issue an executive order ending the deportations of young people who would qualify for the DREAM Act.