Boehner denounces Steve King's 'ignorant' comments on immigration

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Protesters chained together block the entrance of an immigrant detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., during International Human Rights Day. (John Moore / Getty Images)

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President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visit with individuals taking part in Fast for Families on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)

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Eliseo Medina, who fasted in support of immigration reform with the Fast for Families movement, talks with fellow fasters on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

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Lizardo Buleje of San Antonio stands in front of the Capitol during a rally on immigration reform on Capitol Hill. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

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President Obama stops and turns around to respond to an unidentified man who heckled him about anti-deportation policies in San Francisco. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)

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Officials try to remove a protester locked to a gate at the regional Immigration and Customs Enforcement office during an immigration protest in Atlanta. (Erik S. Lesser / EPA)

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An activist shouts slogans in front of a regional Immigration and Customs Enforcement office during an immigration protest and rally in Atlanta. (Erik S. Lesser / EPA)

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Student Jonathan Hernandez, center, marches in an immigration rights rally on the University of Texas campus in Austin. (Jay Janner / Associated Press)

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Eight “Dreamers,” wearing their school graduation caps and gowns to show their desire to finish school in the U.S., march with linked arms to the U.S. port of entry where they planned to request humanitarian parole, in Nogales, Mexico. (Samantha Sais / Associated Press)

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A man listens to Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) speak during the D.C. March for Jobs in Upper Senate Park near Capitol Hill in Washington. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) embraces Astrid Silva of Las Vegas, a Dream Act supporter whose family came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally and whose story has been an inspiration for Reid during work on the immigration reform bill. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

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Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), left, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), members of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” who crafted the immigration bill, shake hands on Capitol Hill in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

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Mercedes Montano, an immigrant from Mexico living in U.S. without legal status, prays during a 24-hour vigil outside the Civil Center in downtown Los Angeles. Demonstrators called on Congress to pass immigration reform. (Susannah Kay / Los Angeles Times)

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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), from left, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) discuss negotiations with Republicans during a markup session for the immigration reform legislation on Capitol Hill. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

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Wearing a shirt that reads “Keep Families Together,” 2-year-old U.S. citizen Eric Lopez runs through the hallway outside the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup session for the immigration reform legislation. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

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Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) talks with one of his staff members during a markup session for the immigration reform legislation. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

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A program and flag sit from a U.S. naturalization ceremony in New York City. (John Moore / Getty Images)

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Immigrants take the oath of U.S. citizenship at a naturalization ceremony held at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in New York City. (John Moore / Getty Images)

By Michael A. Memoli

July 25, 2013 9:35 AM PT

WASHINGTON – House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned what he called “deeply offensive” comments from one of his Republican colleagues, Rep. Steve King, who recently suggested that most young immigrants in the country illegally were drug smugglers.

“There’s no place in this debate for hateful or ignorant comments from elected officials,” the Ohioan told reporters Thursday. “What he said does not reflect the values of the American people or the Republican Party. And we all need to do our work in a constructive, open and respectful way.”

King, an outspoken critic of legislation that he believes would grant “amnesty” to individuals in the United States illegally, told the conservative publication Newsmax that he was opposed to a proposal under development by Republicans in the House that would offer a limited path to citizenship for immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

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“For every one who’s a valedictorian, there’s another hundred out there that they weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert,” King said.

Boehner initially condemned those comments in a written statement earlier this week. Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) said Wednesday that King’s comments were “irresponsible and reprehensible.” He said that he thought if King thought more about it, “he wouldn’t say such a thing again.” Labrador also admonished the media for focusing on King’s remarks while ignoring more positive comments on the subject from other Republicans.

But King defended his remarks in an interview on CNN on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s important that the people in Congress are able to objectively look at the data that’s out there, the real facts and know that 80% to 90% of the illegal drugs that come into America come from or through Mexico and the people that are carrying them are increasingly young people,” he said.

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Boehner’s remarks on King on Thursday opened his weekly televised news conference.

“We don’t need to make this job more difficult,” he said of King. “We’ve got a broken legal immigration system, and we got the problem of those who are here undocumented that ought to be dealt with as well. And it does make it more difficult, but I’m going to continue to work with members who want to get to a solution, as opposed to those who want to do nothing.”

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Michael.memoli@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikememoli