Multiple officials who served at the Department of Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama are concerned with Democrats' calls to ease the laws in regards to illegally entering the United States.
The Hill spoke to several officials who said decriminalizing illegal border crossings could lead to an increase in the practice, which could further overwhelm the U.S. immigration system. Nine Democratic presidential candidates during a recent debate of 10 candidates said they would support the idea.
"We can't go too far to the left for what people could describe as open borders," Marsha Catron, a deputy assistant secretary at DHS during the Obama years, told The Hill.
"I think all of those people onstage who raised their hands will have to walk it back if they make it to the general election or the White House."
Juliette Kayyem served on the Homeland Security Advisory Council under Obama and told The Hill she was "shocked" by the number of Democrats who pledged their support of decriminalization.
"Trump has given us a great opportunity to address what our immigration policy should be as a nation that was once a beacon for humanity," Kayyem said. "Instead, we're focused on an issue that has no relevance to the debate. I understand what's animating the repeal proponents, but if we were to get rid of every law that is abused by the Trump administration then we'd have no laws."
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., was the only candidate onstage at the June 27 debate who did not raise his hand in support of making illegally crossing into the U.S. a civil, rather than a criminal, offense.
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