Immigration has become the biggest political football of his congressional career, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) says.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Boehner disagreed with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent comments about Mexican immigrants and pointed to the controversial nature of dealing with immigration.
“I disagree with Mr. Trump’s comments and frankly I think when you look at the presidential candidates, they’ve all pretty well made their position clear,” Boehner said.
“This has become the biggest political football I’ve seen in my congressional career. This whole issue of illegal immigration and what to do with it,” he added.
According to the House Speaker, in order to get the problems plaguing the nation’s immigration system under control Congress must act.
“As I said last week, it’s not going to get resolved by Congress sticking their heads in the sand. And if we want to resolve issues, like we see developed in San Francisco and elsewhere, we need to get serious about enforcing the laws we have,” he said, referencing the recent murder of a young woman at the hands of a multiple-deportee, multiple-felon illegal immigrant in the sanctuary city of San Francisco.
“And if we don’t like the laws we have, then we need, as a Congress to sit down and resolve this issues and I’d like to get it resolved sooner rather than later,” he added.
When asked if Congress will work on immigration legislation this year Boehner responded “I would hope so,” but would not indicate what such legislation would look like or confront.