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Sen. Mike Crapo, (R-Idaho), questions the White House’s use of prosecutorial discretion to implement its immigration policy.
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Joining us now senator my -- always one of forty senators who sent a letter to the president questioning his legal authority.
To -- deportation proceedings.
Senator great to have you with this hour before we turn to to the president and his action.
I wanna get a sense of what you thought about governor Romney's proposition today on the issue of illegal immigration.
From the summaries I've seen of governor Romney's speech he's right on target.
He's making the point that we need to have an immigration policy that is built on the rule of law.
That those who have illegally entered the country should not be given advantage over those who are following the law in terms of gaining citizenship.
But that instead we should focus on most highly skilled workers.
On unification of families and -- providing support for those who have put their lives on the line to serve in our military to help them obtain a legal status.
There to me this is one of those things -- -- there should be no argument about.
Anyone who served in the uniform of the united states military.
Should have a path to citizenship or that service.
And -- -- I applaud the governor for -- Taking that initiative.
And and for talking about running a government intelligently effectively.
It for the benefit of those who -- who've come to this country lawfully.
Which by the way -- as he points out.
Reduce the number of people who would seek illegal entry by itself.
That's exactly right the the idea senator turning to to your questions of the president has authority to do what he did Friday.
Friday last and that is unilaterally or for the Department of Homeland Security.
To create.
And then in force I suppose or at least implement.
Obama law.
Without regard to the -- under the constitution of the congress.
Yeah that's true -- Mitt Romney made a very good point the president has had two years with a complete power in Washington DC.
To work either with his own party alone or with the Republicans to build a comprehensive solution to the problem.
And he's built -- itself and now he seeks unilaterally to use what's called prosecutorial discretion.
To simply ignore -- entire part of our immigration law.
And seek to implement one part of his version of how we should do it without any consultation with congress.
This president.
-- views if you think I'm being unfair -- harsher.
But it seems to be he has no hesitancy and telling congress and those who.
Would abide by -- long tradition.
In the constitution to go straight to -- that he's gonna do pretty much as he walked.
Well I think you're right in fact if you go back to some of the the president's statements when he was a senator or even shortly after he was elected president.
He made it clear that the law was out there that would stop the president from unilaterally seeking to implement his or her version of what they thought the law should be.
Now he's taking a principal called prosecutorial discretion which he used it is something that's.
That's usually use to.
Look at individual cases for individual circumstances and determine whether prosecution is justified.
He's applying it to entire classes of individuals in order to literally ignore the enforcement of a law that congress has passed previously.
And I I don't know that the principle of prosecutorial discretion allows a president to simply say.
This law -- force and us law I will not only not enforce -- I will actively undermined its application.
And senator did to -- -- to the practically.
The practical nature of what he's done.
The idea he -- 800000.
People ages sixteen to.
The thirty but the reality is.
Investments we are just about double that a million and a half people would be eligible for is.
Within his edict.
There is no way that they -- citizenship and immigration services agency.
Could even begin to process.
The background checks the documentation that would be necessary the registration.
Up for that many people are referred.
Or probably years.
Am -- mistaken in it and that analysis.
-- you're correct and one of the points that needs to be made is that even the DREAM Act which the president supports.
Requires that there be a determination made that those who are being given this special treatment are not felons.
That they have.
Either been educated in US institutions or that they have served in the military.
And for the federal government under the president to simply say we're going to.
Fail horse -- -- to enforce the law against an entire class of individuals under an entire section of the law.
Will require them to ignore most of that kind of decision making and just -- in the -- sleep in granting these special privileges.
Senator -- thanks for being here.
