Flake to Obama: Security first, citizenship second

Sen. Jeff Flake, in Wednesday morning comments on Fox News, said President Obama ought to look at border security first and pathways to citizenship second, given the security and fiscal issues facing this nation.

But “at least he didn’t give an ultimatum” while in Las Vegas, giving remarks on immigration and pushing for a faster, simpler path toward citizenship, Mr. Flake, Arizona Republican, said. Still, he should reverse his priorities and seek security first — as the bipartisan bill before Congress currently does, Mr. Flake added.

As PBS reports, a group of eight senators — Democrats and Republicans — found consensus on four basic immigration principles. In addition to opening the doors to legal citizenship for 11 million who are now living in the United States illegally, the bill also beefs up border security. But as Mr. Flake said, no reform takes place without first bolstering border protections.

“I truly don’t know what [the president] wants. But this is the right thing to do,” Mr. Flake said on Fox News in reference to the bipartisan bill. “And I hope the president supports it when it gets to his desk.”

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