Being in the United States without documentation shouldn’t be singular grounds for deportation, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in an interview this weekend.
“Our view of the law is that if somebody is here without sufficient documentation, that is not reason for deportation,” Pelosi said on Telemundo’s “Enfoque.” “If somebody has broken the law, committed a felony or something, that’s a different story.”
Pelosi’s interview aired partially Sunday, but DRM Action Coalition, an advocacy group for undocumented youth, posted a transcript of the minority leader’s extended remarks online.
Telemundo’s Lori Montenegro asked Pelosi whether she believed President Barack Obama could extend deferred deportations to the parents of DREAMers, or undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The minority leader said she wasn’t sure the President had that authority, but noted there was wiggle room in enforcing the law.
“I think that there is discretion in the law as to the implementation, enforcement of the legislation that is calling for these deportations,” she responded, adding that as one of California’s elected representatives she saw “deportations that were totally unjustified.”
The Obama administration has been presented with cases of immigrants whose deportations would split their families apart, Pelosi added, saying she was hopeful those anecdotes would prompt the President to take action.
“For years, we have been after the administration not to have this– disparity of discretion that is used,” she said. “It’s wrong.”
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said the minority leader’s comments to Telemundo were a “restatement of her long-held belief that being an undocumented immigrant is not a basis for deportation.” He added that Pelosi would prefer the legislature move on immigration reform to put the issue to rest.
This post has been updated.
