Former Homeland Security officials push for quicker action on DACA

By Rebecca Savransky - 01/03/18 07:24 AM EST
Former Homeland Security officials push for quicker action on DACA
© Keren Carrion
Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are urging congressional leaders to take quicker action on a legislative solution for young immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
 
Three former DHS secretaries sent a letter to congressional leaders and officials in both parties telling them that they need to take legislative action by the middle of January, The New York Times reported.
 
The letter was sent ahead of a Wednesday meeting on Capitol Hill, where DACA is expected to be a focus of discussions.
 
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“We write not only in strong support of this legislation, but to stress that it should be enacted speedily, in order to meet the significant administrative requirements of implementation, as well as the need to provide certainty for employers and these young people,” the secretaries said. 
 
“For these reasons, the realistic deadline for successfully establishing a Dreamers program in time to prevent large-scale loss of work authorization and deportation protection is only weeks away, in the middle of January.”
 
The letter was signed by Jeh Johnson and Janet Napolitano, DHS secretaries under former President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaPatagonia files suit against Trump cuts to Utah monuments Former Dem Tenn. gov to launch Senate bid: report Eighth Franken accuser comes forward as Dems call for resignation MORE, and Michael Chertoff, who served under former President George W. Bush.
 
They said the only "permanent way to prevent these Dreamers from losing work authorization and becoming subject to immediate deportation" is through legislation.
 
“Establishing a program to effectively adjudicate a new immigration application system must be done responsibly," they added.
 
Their letter said it would be necessary for a bill to be passed by Jan. 19 to allow for applications to be processed before the deadline.

“Not only is there no reason to delay, but establishing this new program in 45 days would be an incredible accomplishment done in record time,” the letter said.

The Trump administration in September said it was ending the Obama-era program, which allows young people who came to the country illegally as children to live without fear of deportation. At the time, the administration said DACA would be phased out over a six-month period, a delay that was intended to give lawmakers time to pass legislation addressing the issue.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE said last week he would not accept any legislative solution to protect DACA recipients without funding for his proposed border wall. 

"The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc," Trump tweeted. "We must protect our Country at all cost!"

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