President Trump said Tuesday he’s eager to solve the challenge of illegal young immigrants “with heart and compassion,” but he could not allow former President Barack Obama’s illegal and dangerous amnesty program to continue.
“In referencing the idea of creating new immigration rules unilaterally, President Obama admitted that ’I can’t just do these things by myself’ — and yet that is exactly what he did, making an end-run around Congress and violating the core tenets that sustain our Republic,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.
The administration announced Tuesday it is ending the program known as DACA, which allowed illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to be shielded from deportation.
Mr. Trump said only Congress can make immigration law.
“There can be no path to principled immigration reform if the executive branch is able to rewrite or nullify federal laws at will,” Mr. Trump said.
He also said DACA helped to create a humanitarian disaster by encouraging more illegal immigrant children to come to the U.S. after 2012.
“The temporary implementation of DACA by the Obama administration, after Congress repeatedly rejected this amnesty-first approach, also helped spur a humanitarian crisis — the massive surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America including, in some cases, young people who would become members of violent gangs throughout our country, such as MS-13,” the president said. “Only by the reliable enforcement of immigration law can we produce safe communities, a robust middle class, and economic fairness for all Americans.”
He said Attorney General Jeff Sessions, other state attorney generals and legal experts “have advised that the program is unlawful and unconstitutional and cannot be successfully defended in court.”
“Therefore, in the best interests of our country, and in keeping with the obligations of my office, the Department of Homeland Security will begin an orderly transition and wind-down of DACA, one that provides minimum disruption,” Mr. Trump said. “While new applications for work permits will not be accepted, all existing work permits will be honored until their date of expiration up to two full years from today.”
Mr. Trump said he wants Congress to devise a comprehensive solution to the problem.
“Above all else, we must remember that young Americans have dreams, too. Being in government means setting priorities,” he said. “Our first and highest priority in advancing immigration reform must be to improve jobs, wages and security for American workers and their families. It is now time for Congress to act!”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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