AG Sessions Blasts Obama Amnesty: ‘Lawfully,’ DACA ‘Cannot Be Defended’

Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended his ending of a President Obama-created temporary amnesty program for illegal aliens, saying it “cannot be defended” under the Rule of Law.

In a speech to the Federalist Society, Sessions — a pioneer of the immigration in the national interest movement — blasted the Obama administration’s creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has given temporary amnesty to nearly 800,000 illegal aliens.

“Similarly, no Cabinet Secretary has the power, through guidance, letters or otherwise, to wipe entire sections of immigration law,” Sessions said. “But that’s what the previous administration did with its Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy.”

“Under DACA—without the consent of Congress—individuals here illegally who met certain criteria were granted not only lawful presence but work authorization, and the right to participate in Social Security, which unlawful immigrants are not entitled to have,” Sessions continued. “So no matter what one thinks about the immigration issues and policy, it cannot be defended in my opinion lawfully.”

“Once again, the Department advised and the administration put an end to it—and it is being ended now.”

In September, Sessions announced on behalf of President Trump’s administration that the DACA program would officially end in March 2018 and applications for illegal aliens to sign up for the program would end in October 2017.

Most recently, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Elaine Duke directed that the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) agency reopen the DACA program to allow more than 100 illegal aliens to gain temporary amnesty status before the program is ended. Applicants who can show “individualized proof” of mail delivery problems can reapply for extensions.

Meanwhile, Trump’s nominee to lead DHS, Kirstjen Nielsen, has confirmed that she will proactively work with members of Congress to help push an amnesty for DACA illegal aliens, despite the potential 9.9 million to 19 million chain migration that could follow such a decision and the negative impact it would have on America’s working and middle classes.