President Obama says he will take executive action to reform the nation’s immigration system. Speaking Monday, Obama said he would no longer wait for Congress after Republican House Speaker John Boehner told him the House would not vote on immigration reform this year.

President Obama: “America cannot wait forever for them to act. And that’s why today I’m beginning a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress. As a first step, I’m directing the secretary of homeland security and the attorney general to move available and appropriate resources from our interior to the border. Protecting public safety and deporting dangerous criminals has been and will remain the top priority, but we are going to refocus our efforts where we can to make sure we do what it takes to keep our borders secure.”

Obama’s remarks come as he has asked Congress for fast-track authority and additional funding to speed up the deportation of children fleeing violence and poverty in Central America. Obama has already deported about two million immigrants, more than any other president in U.S. history.