U.S. CONGRESSMAN JOHN C. FLEMING, M.D.

Washington, D.C., Jul 27 -

U.S. Representative John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) released the following statement after Chris Crane, the president of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) union, and George McCubbin III, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, came forward with information exposing another instance of President Obama and his administration continually bypassing the will of the American people and the laws passed by Congress with regards to illegal immigration:

"According to a policy memorandum issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, certain illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and who meet other criteria will no longer be deported as required by federal law.  Instead, immigration agencies have been directed to cease enforcement activities against illegal immigrants who:  (1) were under age 16 at time of entry into the U.S; (2) have continuously resided in the U.S. for at least five years; (3) are in school, graduated from high school or obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or were honorably discharged from the Armed Forces; (4) have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or multiple misdemeanor offenses, and are not otherwise a threat to national security or public safety; and (5) are age 30 or below.  These criteria are similar to those included in the highly controversial “DREAM Act,” which over the years has repeatedly failed to gain enough support to pass Congress.

"President Obama and his administration continue to openly defy the laws of our nation by choosing which laws to enforce and which to ignore.  This latest attempt is nothing more than another step in providing amnesty for those who illegally entered the United States. Regrettably, political stunts like this, during election season, continue to demonstrate how President Obama is pursuing policies that do more to encourage illegal immigration than to curb it."

Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small  businessowner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.