Five Times Trump’s DHS Nominee Nielsen Nixed POTUS Principles on Immigration

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly contradicted the pro-American immigration agenda that he was elected to implement.

Breitbart News has compiled the five times in which Kirstjen Nielsen, a former official under President George W. Bush, has been out-of-line with Trump’s Buy “Buy American, Hire American” policies and immigration principles.

1. Support of Amnesty for DACA Illegal Aliens

Nielsen’s most controversial statements on immigration have revolved around her open support for amnesty for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) illegal aliens.

In a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Nielsen testified that she believed Americans “owe” amnesty to DACA illegal aliens, Breitbart News reported.

“I believe that we must and we owe it to them to find a permanent solution,” she said of passing a DACA amnesty that could potentially lead to a chain migration of 9.9 million to 19 million foreign nationals pouring into the U.S. legally. “It’s no way to expect anyone to live a month or two months at a time,” said Nielsen, even though the DACA work-permits each last for two years.

Nielsen’s support for DACA amnesty contradicts the Trump White House immigration agenda, which does not include any proponent that gives amnesty to illegal aliens.

2. Downplaying Trump’s Immigration Principles

Nielsen’s testimony and answers during her hearing did not make any declaration of support — or even any reference to — Trump’s detailed 70-point list of immigration principles which were announced on October 8. Not only did Nielsen ignore Trump’s immigration principles in her Senate confirmation hearing, but she also did not make a single mention of them in her extensive pre-questionnaire Q&A. To date, there is no evidence that shows Nielsen supports Trump’s list of immigration principles.

3. Downplaying Trump’s Border Wall

Trump has said he does not plan to build a solid wall from coast to coast. But in the face of Democratic hostility, Nielsen actually downplayed the importance of the wall by choosing to repeat a statement made by her ally, POTUS Chief of Staff John Kelly, saying “There is no need for a wall from sea to shining sea.”

Worse, Nielsen took a cue from GOP establishment-types, touting the supposed need for more “technology” on the U.S.-Mexico border. The technology-based “virtual-wall” narrative is often used by Democrats and Republican establishment politicians to fake sympathy for a border wall.

4. Saying She Will “Look Into” Reopening DACA

Nielsen said that she will consider reopening the DACA temporary amnesty program to allow more illegal aliens onto the rolls, despite the nearly 700,000 illegal aliens who are already on the rolls. When asked by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) if she would consider throwing out Trump’s executive decision to shut down DACA enrollment, Nielsen responded by saying:

I would commit to you to look into it. I’m not familiar with the specific numbers, but if there are extenuating circumstances that we should take into consideration, I would look into those and talk with you further.

5. Emphasizing Aid for Foreign Economies as a Defense Against Illegal Immigration

Trump’s immigration agenda has emphasized putting the U.S. economy and needs of Americans first. But when answering a question about how to deter illegal immigration, Nielsen said she wanted to improve the economies of foreign nations which send their illegal aliens to the United States, even as she declined to talk about more direct countermeasures, such as the construction of a border wall and the enforcement of sanctions against employers who hire illegals.

“We have to increase the prosperity there,” Nielsen said of foreign countries. “There’s a variety of programs, you and I have discussed, including the Alliance for Prosperity. But to really help the community find jobs, track the private sector, and enable the community to be resilient in such a way that it in of itself provides the type of environment that citizens would want to stay.”