Speech #1140009994

It will take longer for those who are attempting to come legally to gain admittance under the law. I support the efforts of those coming to the United States to make a better life for themselves and their family. We all believe in immigration. We just think immigration should be legal. The President has rewritten the law to allow illegal immigrants the ability to receive work permits and drivers licenses which also includes receiving a Social Security number. After a certain period of time they will be eligible for Social Security. This goes far beyond his legal authority. By the way. many of my Democratic colleagues have expressed concerns about the Presidents action and whether he had the constitutional authority to take the action he has taken. Clearly he does not. While the President says this legal status is temporary. the reality is once work permits have been issued and Social Security cards are given. folks will be allowed to stay. They would not be deemed a priority for removal. On top of that. the temporary status may be renewed. In 2011. the President took Executive action for the Department of Homeland Security to start prioritizing illegal immigrants for removal. In April 2014. several months before he took his most recent action. the Los Angeles Times quoted former ICE Director John Sandweg in an article where he said. If you are a runofthemill immigrant here illegally. your odds of getting deported are close to zero. The Associated Press reported in September 2014 the Department of Homeland Security admitted to a group of immigrant advocates during a confidential meeting that about 70 percent of illegal immigrants traveling as families failed to report back to ICE as ordered after they were released at the border. A few weeks ago Louisiana school administrators and I met. and they expressed concern about how the Presidents immigration policies have stressed our school systems. Classroom sizes have grown. Their associated costs to hire more teachers. buy textbooks. and the required resources to educate these students all have grown.