Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., joins other members of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, May 20, 2013, as lawmakers work on a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions. The panel is aiming to pass the legislation out of committee this week, setting up a high-stakes debate on the Senate floor. Credit: AP
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) had some strong words for President Barack Obama over his decision to meet with illegal aliens after refusing to sit down with the union representing immigration officers.
In a statement to Fox News on Friday, Sessions said Obama's decision to host the illegal immigrants after snubbing immigration officers "says it all."
"The White House will not even grant ICE officers a low-level White House meeting but invites illegal immigrants into the Oval Office," the senator added.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden reportedly med with eight pro-amnesty advocates at the White House on Tuesday. Three of the visitors were listed as having received "deferred action." In other words, they were likely granted reprieve via Obama's 2012 executive order that allows some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to avoid deportation.
Meanwhile, the ICE union has been attempting, unsuccessfully, to sit down with the president for three months to talk about immigration reform.
On Thursday, Sessions and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) sent a letter to the White House asking why it has not responded to repeat meeting requests from the National ICE Council, which represents upwards of 7,000 immigration officers.
"To be effective any immigration reform bill must heed the warnings from our federal immigration agents," the letter states. "Unfortunately, far from being included in the process, ICE officers have been shut out and have even had their day-to-day operations handcuffed by DHS officials to the point of being unable to carry out their sworn duties."
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