
By Eric Stock
TAYLORVILLE – U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said it’s time for Congress to pass a permanent fix for the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program that he said should protect the children of immigrant parents from deportation.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Davis on WJBC.
“This is the opportunity for us to fix this part of it where nobody who is here through no fault of their own as a dreamer – nobody who is part of the DACA program – ought to be able to be forced back to a country they have never known,” Davis said.
Davis told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he doesn’t see any way that children of undocumented parents will get deported.
“I would say zero,” Davis said. “That’s how sure I am that we are going to be able to find a legal fix that is better for anybody in the DACA program, rather than the unconstitutional short-term fix that (President Obama) put forth.”
Many Republicans have said DACA was unconstitutional because President Obama had bypassed Congress when he signed the executive order in 2012.
Davis added Congress also needs stronger border security, which he said goes beyond President Trump’s desire for a southern wall. He says the strongest immigration enforcement is needed at U.S. airports.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].