House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., pledged “remedial assistance” to anyone he claimed had been treated “unfairly” by the Trump administration’s immigration policies during an interview on Tuesday.
After mentioning his commitment to affordability for Americans, Jeffries — who is hoping to be Speaker of the House in the new Congress next year — was asked on PBS about whether he would support DACA recipients being brought back to the U.S. amid the Trump administration’s crackdown.
“Certainly anyone, whether they are a citizen, whether they were here lawfully, whether there are DACA recipients [who have] been treated unfairly and unjustly by the administration, we need to provide remedial assistance to them and undo the damage that’s been done to the country, to law-abiding immigrant families, and to the American people over this last 20 months or so,” he said.
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His interviewer noted President Donald Trump said he hoped to work with Democrats after they swept into the majorities in both chambers last week.
Jeffries touted a recent bipartisan housing affordability bill and said Democrats were committed to driving down the cost of living.
“That’s housing, that’s healthcare, that’s groceries, that’s gas, that’s caregiving, and making this country affordable again for everyone,” he said.
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White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital, “Democrats show time and time again with their extremist, anti-American policies that they care more about illegal aliens than U.S. citizens.”
Democratic strategist Julian Epstein also criticized Jeffries’ statement, arguing that the Democratic Party appears to already be reverting to its old ways rather than fulfilling its promises of affordability.
“Democrats are falling back into the extremist open border trap. I’m still yet to hear concrete plans on making housing, energy, and healthcare more affordable. But the incoming speaker seems to have very specific plans on how to provide more welfare for illegal immigrants. No one wants to see violent deportations, but 80% of voters opposed the Biden immigration fiasco and nearly that many oppose amnesty,” he wrote. “The fact that Jeffries has specific ideas about monetary handouts for illegals without any specific ideas about how to alleviate housing and energy costs is a sign of priorities out of whack.”