The White House Tuesday blasted a federal appeals court’s ruling that overturned President Obama’s deportation amnesty action, and said the government won’t step up enforcement of immigration law.
“We obviously continue to believe strongly in the legal power of the arguments that we have been making for nearly a year, now, about the importance of giving our law enforcement officials the discretion to implement our immigration laws in a way that focuses on those who pose a genuine threat to our national security or to our communities,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
He blamed “the impact of Republican opposition, both to these executive actions and to broader comprehensive immigration reform legislation” in perpetuating “a system in which our law enforcement resources are defused.”
“It results in more families being torn apart,” Mr. Earnest said. “And that is clearly not in the best interest of our national security; it’s not in the best interest of public safety. It is also not consistent with the values of this country.”
He added, “The president’s commitment to this policy is unchanged.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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