Immigration protesters in Texas. AP Photo
Sen. Jeff Sessions taking a hard line, Wednesday blasted a House reform proposal as weak and warned that President Obama is on the verge of granting amnesty to some 6 million illegal immigrants -- half the population of undocumented workers in the United States.
“The border crisis is the direct and predictable result of the president’s sustained policies undermining America’s immigration laws. The president’s continued determination to carry out this nullification remains the singular obstacle in the way of restoring lawfulness,” he said in a just-issued statement.
Turning to the House working group immigration reform plan also issued Wednesday, he added, “They made no mention of the president’s threat of sweeping new executive actions. Multiple reports indicate that these imminent actions are likely to take the form of administrative amnesty and work permits for 5-6 million illegal immigrants.”
Sessions has been urging the president to enforce already established border control laws and said that the House package lets him off the hook.
“Any attempt at improving the border situation would be rendered utterly void if the president follows through on his dramatic nullification acts. How can Congress ignore this brewing constitutional crisis? In fact, granting the president new funds without tackling these orders would be an institutional surrender to the planned illegality.”
Paul Bedard Washington Times
Rep. Kay Granger released the working group plan today. It would deploy the National Guard, change the 2008 human trafficking law, set up repatriation centers for minors streaming over the border.
Sessions however said the proposal would grant asylum hearings to “anyone who shows up unlawfully at our border,” and isn’t specific enough on border security.
“Finally, it is curious that the proposal makes no mention of the needs of Americans. Yes, this is a humanitarian crisis. But it is also a legal crisis. And so too is it a crisis for the American people who have begged and pleaded for a lawful system of immigration that serves their interests, protects their jobs, and increases their wages,” he concluded.
“Republicans should not be timid or apologetic, but present a bold defense of the American people. The House GOP has so far been the last bulwark protecting working Americans; it would be tragic for that defense to buckle in the closing days of this Congress.”
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