Lee Zeldin Says Trump Was Right To Kill DACA
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Rep. Lee Zeldin, one of two Republicans in Congress, said he supports President Trump’s decision to kill DACA — but is open to Congress passing a similar measure.
“If the Obama administration wanted to implement the DACA program, it should have made the case to Congress and try to pass its proposal into law,” Zeldin (R-New York) said in a statement. “The administration absolutely did not have the authority to write its own ‘laws.’”
He said allowing the children of undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. is something Congress should have decided.
“If the proposal did not have the support to pass, then it should not go into effect,” he said. “That is how our process is designed and must be respected.”
Zeldin said he is “open” to debating the issue with his colleagues, but he suggested he’s not happy with the concept.
“[My] priority will always unapologetically remain with fighting for the people following the laws rather than the ones breaking them.”
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