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Eli Kantor is a labor, employment and immigration law attorney. He has been practicing labor, employment and immigration law for more than 36 years. He has been featured in articles about labor, employment and immigration law in the L.A. Times, Business Week.com and Daily Variety. He is a regular columnist for the Daily Journal. Telephone (310)274-8216; eli@elikantorlaw.com. For more information, visit beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com and and beverlyhillsemploymentlaw.com

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Former DHS Secretaries Urge Republicans to Fund the Department

Wall Street Journal
By Laura Meckler
February 25, 2015

Two former secretaries of Homeland Security, both Republicans, urged GOP lawmakers to set aside their anger about President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration and provide funding for the department.

“I personally believe, as a former member of the Congress of the United States, that the president has gravely overstepped his constitutional authority,” said Tom Ridge, who served under President George W. Bush as the first secretary of homeland security and earlier had been a U.S. representative and governor of Pennsylvania. He added that Republicans have “every right to challenge” the move, but said withholding funding is “wrong, it’s folly.”

They made their comments at a news conference at the Department of Homeland Security alongside the current DHS secretary, Jeh Johnson, who has been campaigning for a full-year funding measure for his department.

The Senate was preparing to vote as soon as Wednesday on a measure favored by Democrats that would extend funding for the rest of the year, after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) agreed to strip language nullifying Mr. Obama’s executive actions. But it was unclear whether that measure could pass the House.

Michael Chertoff, who served as the second DHS secretary, also under Mr. Bush, said he understands the “deep concerns” that many have about extending protections to people in the U.S. illegally, but pointed to a federal district judge’s decision to put that part of the action on hold.

“That matter as it turns out is likely to be dealt with by the courts,” he said. “What I don’t think make sense is to hold the entire set of operations of the Department of Homeland Security in abeyance as a hostage, as the legislative branch starts to play a game of chicken with the president.”

While essential personnel will still have to work, he said, they will not have needed administrative support and they will not be paid.


The fourth person to serve as agency chief, Democrat Janet Napolitano, was unable to attend the event but issued a statement supporting full funding for DHS.

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