Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said Sunday that caravan migrants seeking asylum should be able to enter the country immediately, challenging President Trump’s efforts to keep them in Mexico while their cases are processed.
“That’s not the law. They should be allowed to come in, seek asylum. That’s the law,” Mr. Cummings said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Asked if he would support changing the law, the Maryland Democrat said, “No.”
Mr. Trump is seeking a deal with Mexico in which the thousands of asylum-seeking migrants massing on the southern border would remain there until their applications are approved, insisting he will close the border if necessary.
Mr. Cummings said he disagreed with the effort.
“I think we have a system that has worked for a long time,” the Maryland Democrat said. “This president’s come in, wants to change it. That’s up to him. But now the Congress has got to stand up, and hopefully they will.”
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Mr. Cummings, who is expected to take over the committee in January, was also asked if he thought what Mr. Trump was doing was constitutional.
“I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see.”
EXCLUSIVE: @RepCummings says he does not support a potential deal where asylum-seekers coming through Mexico would stay in Mexico until their court date in the United States. #MTP
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 25, 2018
Cummings: “That’s not the law. They should be allowed to come in, seek asylum, that’s the law.” pic.twitter.com/nAsKKCLM3f
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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