By John Gregory/Illinois Radio Network

CHICAGO – The new U.S. House Speaker is promising not to bring up immigration legislation two years after making a speech in Chicago calling for a comprehensive reform bill.

In April 2013, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) appeared alongside one of the loudest Democratic voices for immigration reform, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago), supporting a comprehensive immigration reform package, and at the time, he was optimistic such a plan could pass.

“For the first time in a long time, I really believe that we have an opportunity to have a real, long-term solution,” Ryan said.

While immigration reform passed in the Senate that year, the House never called it for a vote.

Fast forward to 2015, and Ryan now said he won’t consider such a plan while President Obama is in the office, citing the executive actions which Obama argues were necessary after the House didn’t act on the 2013 Senate legislation. Ryan said he “can’t trust” Obama to enforce the country’s immigration laws.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is disappointed by Ryan’s pledge, and had hoped he would continue being an advocate for comprehensive reform in his new role as Speaker.

“I know it’s volatile and they don’t want to take it up,” Durbin said, “but the fact is we have 11 or 12 million undocumented people in this country, part of a broken immigration system. We have a responsibility to fix it.”

Durbin is still hopeful for passing more legislation under Ryan’s leadership in the House , saying of Republicans “you just can’t to continue to oppose the President of the United States,” citing the dozens of House votes to try and repeal the Affordable Care Act.