(CNSNews.com) – When it comes to enforcing immigration law, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) said the Constitution gives the president the authority needed and that Congress must also uphold the Constitution. He added that perhaps “half of South America would like to come to the United States” to enjoy the freedoms America provides.
At the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked Congressman Aderholt, “Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution says the president ‘shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.’ Does the president have a constitutional duty to enforce the immigration laws?”
Rep. Aderholt replied, “Well I think certainly by nature he does and by the way the Constitution reads, and I think this president’s done a very good job of trying to uphold that. And it is a part of his duty as it is part of Congress’s duty as well. We’ve got to uphold the Constitution as well, not just the president.”
“So, you know I think he has tried to -- he’s, of course, run into a lot of obstacles throughout the way. But I salute the president for trying to do what he can for trying to make sure that he upholds the Constitution, and tried to uphold the immigration laws.”
“Needless to say, we have some issues in our immigration system that need to be revised, that need to be worked with,” said Aderholt. “In many ways we have a broken system. But we do have a lot of laws that on the books it can be upheld and I think that’s what the president’s doing.”
CNSNews.com followed up and asked, “Do you think Speaker Pelosi is interested in addressing the issue?”
The congressman said, “It doesn’t seem to be. I mean, she seems to be that she wants to address the issue in favor of really not having borders. I mean, why she wouldn’t come out and say that I think per say, and maybe she would.”
“I was talking to somebody earlier in my office today about this the immigration issue,” he continued. “You know, I would say -- and I don’t know the statistics on this -- but half of South America would like to come to the United States. And I would love for them to be able to be here. But the problem is we just don’t have the resources.”
“And when I say I would love [for them] to be here, I’d love for them to enjoy the freedoms that we have in this country,” said Aderholt. “But, you know, that’s what a nation is. It has laws, it has boundaries, and it has borders. And because of that we have to enforce our laws.
“And so, like I said, we want to try to have a legal immigration system here where people come here legally, but we can’t afford to do it illegally,” added the congressman.
CNSNews.com also asked Aderholt, “Should the president deport illegal aliens who a court has ordered deported?”
He replied, “I think that’s pretty much a given. If there’s a court order pending, then I don’t think there’s any reason why the president shouldn’t.”
A 2018 study conducted by researchers at Yale University and MIT estimated the illegal immigrant population in the United States to be 22.1 million.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated in 2017 that “the total cost of illegal immigration for the United States – at the federal, state, and local levels – was approximately $116 billion.”
Many Americans have been killed by illegal aliens. FAIR provides details on some of these cases here and videos here.