Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., slammed Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ili., for "slandering" White House Chief of Staff John Kelly over the administration's decision to end DACA.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program started in 2012 under Obama via an executive order. Trump during the campaign spoke many times about his desire to end the program, which grants amnesty to undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced Trump's decision to end DACA with a six-month delay, giving Congress a window to act.
Gutierrez called Kelly a liar and a disgrace to the uniform Tuesday.
Kelly, "when he was the head of Homeland Security, lied straight to the faces of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about preventing the mass deportation of Dreamers," Gutierrez reportedly said. "Now as chief of staff, this former general is executing the plan to take away their lifeline and taking steps to criminalize young people who live and work here legally.
"Gen. Kelly is a hypocrite who is a disgrace to the uniform he used to wear. He has no honor and should be drummed out of the White House along with the white supremacists and those enabling the president's actions by 'just following orders.'"
Graham told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Gutierrez's comments were "deplorable."
"What he said about Gen. Kelly is just completely wrong, and quite frankly, deplorable," Sen. Graham said. "Here's where we are: We're a nation of laws. It was clear to me that DACA would not meet a Constitutional test in court.
"DAPA, the executive action for the parents of the Dream Act kids fell in court. The 10 attorneys general, Republican attorneys general, were going to sue that DACA was unconstitutional. They were going to win.
"And the President made a good decision by saying 'I'm going to end the program, but I'm going to give Congress six months to fix the problem.' So what I would say to Mr. Gutierrez: 'Sit down with a Republican in the House and try to find a solution instead of slandering Gen. Kelly.'"
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