More than 30 Republican lawmakers are calling on President Obama to end his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and make a public assertion that new arrivals will not receive legal status.
In response to the ongoing flood of unaccompanied immigrant minors illegally crossing the nation’s southern border, 33 Republican congressmen, lead by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), are pressing Obama to roll back policies and perceptions that they say have helped spur the onslaught.
“As our country faces an unprecedented surge in the arrival of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) at our southwestern border, we call on you to immediately end the failed policies that encourage young individuals to put themselves in peril, leave their home countries, and make a long and dangerous journey to enter our country illegally,” they wrote Wednesday in a letter to Obama.
Since October, more than 52,000 unaccompanied minors have been detained illegally crossing the southern border — many telling Border Patrol agents that they came because they believe they will be able to stay.
According to the GOP congressmen, the president must take the crisis on by first ending the DACA program — which shields certain illegal immigrants from deportation and allows them to live and work in the U.S. — “to send a clear signal to all individuals that our immigration laws will be enforced.”
Further, they call on Obama to “make an explicit public commitment that you will not support legislation that extends legal status to the newly arriving illegal aliens no matter the age.”
They also requested Obama disclose the intent of the Department of Homeland Security’s review of deportation policies.
“Your continued commitment to circumvent Congress and implement policies contrary to the intent of immigration law sends foreign nationals the false hope that administrative amnesty is possible,” they write.
Signatures include: Rep. Darrell Issa, Rep. Pete Sessions, Rep. Sam Graves, Rep. Lamar Smith, Rep. Blake Farenthold, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Tim McClintock, Rep. John Duncan, Rep. Tom Cotton, Rep Jim Bridenstine, Rep. Alan Nunnelee, Rep. Gregg Harper, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Lynn Jenkins, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, Rep. Tom Cole, Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Rep. Ken Calvert, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Ander Crenshaw, Rep. Phil Gingrey, Rep. Rob Wittman, Rep. Ralph Hall, Rep. Roger Williams, Rep John Campbell, Rep. Steve Stockman, Rep. Dan Benishek, Rep. David Jolly, Rep. Ted Yoho, Rep. Tim Griffin.