California’s Republican leaders call on Congress to find a solution to accommodate Dreamers

California
Sept. 5, 2017, 12:27 p.m. Reporting from Sacramento

California’s Republican leaders call on Congress to find a solution to accommodate Dreamers

Patrick McGreevy

Republican legislative leaders in California said Tuesday it is up to Congress now to fix the nation’s immigration laws following President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program.

The statements reflected an effort by the California GOP to avoid alienating Latino voters with hard-line positions on immigration.

“The president has rescinded an unconstitutional executive order from the prior administration that he had committed to reverse during the campaign,” said state Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel. “Now the real work must begin.”

Bates said it is important that Congress pass a “lasting solution” that will allow the 800,000 people participating in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to “continue to pursue their educations, careers and contributions to our great nation.”

Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley agreed that a solution is needed to allow youth who have benefited from DACA to stay in the United States.

“America should not be in the business of deporting children who came to this country through no fault of their own,” Mayes said. “Much like the children of the immigrants who built this country, these children followed their parents to America, and to send them home would mean sending them to a country they’ve never known. These are our neighbors. They attend our schools, they speak English, they pay taxes and they played by the rules.”

State Republican leaders have been frustrated by the lack of action from Congress on immigration.

“If today’s decision by the president to abandon DACA doesn’t force Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, I don’t know what will,” Mayes said.