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McCollum: General Kelly Must Temper Dangerous Trump Immigration Policies

January 10, 2017

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is conducting confirmation hearings this week on President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of General John F. Kelly to be Secretary of Homeland Security. Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement on the Kelly nomination:

"General John F. Kelly — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security — has a distinguished record of serving our country, including as Commander of the United States Southern Command.

"In addition to its core role of keeping the American people safe, the Department of Homeland Security has responsibility over several areas in which President-elect Trump has made particularly disturbing campaign promises.

"For instance, it will be up to General Kelly to counsel President-elect Trump against the deportation of DREAMers, young people who were brought to the United States as children, have grown up as Americans, and know no other home.

"I hope that General Kelly will contest President-elect Trump’s inhumane proposal for a deportation force to quickly round up and deport law-abiding immigrants. Instead, he should insist on a careful, smart, and Constitutional approach to addressing unauthorized immigration, not expensive border walls.

"As Senators consider the Kelly nomination, I hope that they will receive robust assurances that General Kelly will stand up President-elect Trump and his advisors when necessary to protect the civil liberties of Americans and ensure that immigrants are treated with dignity and respect."