Sarah Huckabee Sanders on immigration crisis: ‘we’re not the Obama administration’ ‘making up laws’
At Monday’s briefing, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders battled National Public Radio (NPR) reporter Ayesha Rascoe over the the role of Congress in future legislation concerning the immigration crisis at the Southern border.
“What is this administration planning to do to make it so you don’t have to see a judge?” Rascoe asked.
Sanders explained to the reporter that there are already “multiple instances” where there is so-called “expedited removal,” but added, “if someone comes through a port of entry, seeking asylum, those cases and that process will be heard.”
“The president has laid out what he would like to see,” the press secretary continued. “We’ve put out the things that we want to see in an immigration package, months ago. We’re still waiting on Congress to give us the ability to do that.”
Unsatisfied with Sanders’ response, Rascoe pushed back, “So unless Congress acts, nothing is actually going to change. The administration is not changing anything right now when it comes to judges.”
Sanders fired back: “You mean, are we walking around making up laws? No, because we’re not the Obama Administration. We’re enforcing the laws on the books. We’re asking Congress to do their part in the process and pass new legislation that will fix our immigration system.”
Rascoe pressed, “But nothing is actually changing on the ground. The president is complaining about judges and saying we shouldn’t have the judges, but nothing is actually going to change. He’s just complaining about the process as it stands now?”
“Things that we have the ability to do administratively we’re working to do,” Sanders again explained. “But again, Congress is the only one that has the ability to write law, and we hope they do that.”
