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Washington • Sen. Mike Lee says President Barack Obama should expect political backlash for his executive actions to protect immigrants from deportation — including the possibility of budget restrictions, a hold on nominations and court action.

Lee, a Utah Republican who argues that Obama's move hijacks the constitutional process, says he doesn't foresee a government shutdown as an option to thwart the president's attempts to protect up to 5 million immigrants from being given guest-worker status, but the freshman senator also says Congress will and must respond to being circumvented.

"We have more than enough tools at our disposal to keep the government open while also standing up to the president," Lee said Thursday ahead of Obama's nationwide address.

Lee's comments mirror many of his Republican colleagues — including those of the rest of the Utah GOP delegation — that Obama is overreaching with his administrative actions. The president said he is ordering the changes to immigration enforcement after lawmakers' failure to adopt meaningful reform.

Lee pointed out that Obama himself said previously that he didn't have the authority to go it alone in reforming the immigration system and needed legislation. The White House said Thursday the executive orders will stand the test of the courts, but Lee disagreed and warned that, in the meantime, Congress won't sit idle.

Even Democrats, he added, may not "take one for the team" on this issue.

"Congress needs to respond to restore the proper checks and balances in our system," Lee said, "and I think it needs to do so quickly and forcefully."

Seven-term Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who was one of 14 Republicans to back comprehensive immigration reform in a 2013 vote, said Obama was wrong to push aside Capitol Hill on a major issue.

"Rather than work with Congress, the president has instead chosen to foster mistrust, polarization and gridlock," Hatch said in a statement. "This is a disappointing day for our country, and especially for the millions of legal and illegal immigrants who deserve lasting immigration reform rather than temporary illegitimate half-measures."

The House never took up the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration bill, with leaders and many rank-and-file Republicans arguing a piecemeal approach, starting with heightened border enforcement, was the best approach.

Six-term Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, who sponsored legislation that would allow the Border Patrol to waive environmental laws within 100 miles of the U.S. border to stop immigrants from coming across illegally, said Obama's move is an "imperfect presidential mandate done in isolation.

"The president missed an opportunity to work with Congress and instead has created a toxic atmosphere harming future efforts," Bishop said in a statement. "Amnesty is not an answer and it sends the wrong message to those who are going through the legitimate immigration process."

Bishop and freshman Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, joined 33 other House Republicans in a letter to Obama expressing concern about the executive action and asking the president to hold off until the next, GOP-controlled Congress takes office to work with the legislative branch.

"Like most Utahns, I recognize that our immigration system is broken and must be reformed, but the president's threat of executive orders and a call for amnesty isn't the answer," Stewart said in statement. "It goes against the will of the people and of Congress. If the president wants to reform immigration, it must happen through the proper channels within Congress."

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, recently re-elected to a fourth term, accused Obama of rewarding lawbreakers with his action.

"This is a dangerous message to be sending," the Utah Republican said. "As long as the delays and penalties for navigating the legal process are more painful than the consequences of coming to the United States illegally, we will continue to have a problem regardless of how high or wide our fence is. Our immigration system is broken and in desperate need of reform. It cannot be fixed with a 'pen' and a 'phone.' "

For his part, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert agreed with the widespread call for reform but criticized Obama's "divisive and unilateral action."

"The issue must be addressed by Congress," Herbert said in a news release. "I am afraid the president's action tonight will only poison the well and make resolution of the matter more difficult."