President Obama’s executive action on immigration has sparked lawmakers on Capitol Hill to question the overhaul’s potential negative impact on border security. The Committee on Homeland Security gathered Tuesday to hear from Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who aided in the creation of Obama’s overhaul.
“The lax interior enforcement policies adopted by the administration coupled with even the perception of amnesty, become a powerful magnet that encourages more illegal immigration,” Committee Chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) stated.
The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended some 500,000 illegal immigrants along the southern border this year. And of those, less than half were deported.
Johnson, however, showed almost no concern over the plan’s potential threat to national security.
"Many of these individuals have committed no crimes and are not enforcement priorities,” Johnson stated. “It is time that we acknowledge this as a matter of official policy and encourage eligible individuals to come out of the shadows, submit to criminal and national security background checks, and be held accountable."
The Secretary repeatedly claimed the measure was not only legal, but also in the best interest of the United States:
According to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll, 48 percent of likely U.S. voters believe congress should attempt to "stop the president’s plan of allowing these illegal immigrants to stay in this country legally and apply for jobs."