'No Legislation Necessary:' Feinstein Urged Obama To Use Presidential Power To Limit Immigration
During a time of increased immigration from Mexico in the summer of 2014, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein encouraged then-President Barack Obama to use his “very broad power” to limit immigration as he saw fit.
In a letter sent to Obama, Feinstein noted that she spoke with then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about how to address the immigration “crisis,” according to Fox News.
“There is also an argument that there is sufficient flexibility in current law for the government to respond to the current crisis and that further legislation is not needed,” Feinstein said.
She was referring to Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the president to limit immigration that is “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”
Feinstein continued to argue that “no legislation is necessary to give your administration the tools it needs to respond to this crisis, and that any needed temporary measures can be implemented through presidential action.”
This letter doesn’t bode well for the left’s opposition to Trump’s recent proclamation on illegal immigration, which cited the same law Feinstein used in her letter.
“President Trump is using the authority granted to him by the Immigration and Nationality Act to manage and protect the integrity of our immigration system and our national sovereignty,” according to a White House statement.
As a result of the president’s proclamation, “any alien who illegally enters our country will be ineligible for asylum.”
The left has been screeching about the president’s proclamation from the moment he announced it.
For example, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on Twitter, “(President Donald Trump’s) latest attempt to slam the door shut on them isn’t just illegal – it’s cruel and immoral.”
Women escaping domestic abuse. Children fleeing gang violence. People facing persecution who come to America seeking asylum and the chance for a better life. @realDonaldTrump‘s latest attempt to slam the door shut on them isn’t just illegal – it’s cruel and immoral. https://t.co/g405k9lUlW
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 9, 2018
Warren might want to check in with Feinstein, who will be able to explain to her why Trump’s proclamation is perfectly legal.
Unlike her Democratic peers, Feinstein has been unusually silent about Trump’s proclamation.
However, it won’t be surprising when she eventually comes out hard against Trump, despite allowing Obama to use the same law just a few years prior.
It wouldn’t be the first time Democrats have flip-flopped on an issue.
Republicans should hold Feinstein accountable to her past statements and make a strong case for the legality of Trump’s proclamation.
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