We wrote yesterday about the diction employed by Georgia's members of Congress as they responded to President Donald Trump's decision to end protections for illegal immigrants who were brought here as children.
While the state's Democrats, we pointed out, focused on the human side of the debate. About 800,000 young adults are affected. Republicans spoke almost exclusively of law and order, questioning the constitutionality of the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" program enacted by President Barack Obama in 2012.
Shortly after we published that observation, we got an email from U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s office that broke the mold:
“Children who received status under President Obama’s deferred action executive order should not be punished for their parents’ choices. Congress should protect these young people while also working toward stronger measures to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws going forward.”
Missing from that statement, you may notice, is any mention of the president. When we caught up with Isakson later on Tuesday afternoon, he offered no criticism of the president.
“DACA was in place because of an executive order. The new executive has decided to rescind the application of DACA for the future and left it to Congress,” he said.
As for Congress, Isakson said, “It’s time we start doing something.” That includes grandfathering the current DACA kids into the system and sorting out a system for future children in similar situations, he said.
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