Senate Republicans warn that Obama deportation review will lead to weakened enforcement

David M. Drucker
April 24, 2014
Washington Examiner

Senate Republicans are voicing concern about the Obama administration’s formal review of the deportation process for illegal immigrants, warning that the White House intends to halt enforcement.

In an April 24 letter to President Obama, nearly two dozen Senate Republicans express concern that the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security’s “enforcement review” is to loosen the standards for deporting illegal immigrants and weaken border security. Senate Republican are urging Obama to strengthen both.

“We write to express our grave concerns over the immigration ‘enforcement review’ that you ordered after meeting with advocacy groups on March 13, 2014, and that is now being carried out by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” the Republican senators wrote. “According to reports, the changes under consideration would represent a near complete abandonment of basic immigration enforcement and discard the rule of law and the notion that the United States has enforceable borders.”

Among those to sign the letter were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, who is considered a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform.

Some political observers believe Obama plans to act unilaterally to relax immigration enforcement in a bid to boost Hispanic voters’ support for Democrats in the midterm elections. Some Republicans believe that the only way to head off such action is for their party to support comprehensive immigration reform in Congress this year.