WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter King, who next week becomes chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says he will push legislation to tighten border security and arrest more illegal aliens — challenging what he considers to be President Obama’s lax immigration policies.
“The Obama administration continues to display an obvious lack of urgency when it comes to gaining operational control of the border, which is absolutely critical,” King (R-LI) said.
He said Obama has “done little” in the past two years to keep out illegal immigrants and the country needs a new strategy “that incorporates the necessary staffing, fencing and technology to do the job.”
King’s immigration proposals will include an aggressive crackdown on private companies that hire illegal aliens and increased federal support for local police to help arrest illegal immigrants.
These measures are near the top of a packed Homeland Security agenda that includes efforts to better combat domestic radicalization, stopping Obama’s plans to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the US for civilian trials and bolstering national cybersecurity.
The border security initiatives would be a sharp departure from the current Obama administration policy that is focused on deporting illegal aliens who commit serious crimes.
It also underscores the dead end awaiting Obama’s immigration reform proposals when he confronts a new Republican majority in the House and a larger Republican minority in the Senate starting next week.