CAMARILLO, CA — U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, sent a letter this week to President Obama urging him to stop his policies of destroying jobs for American citizens and legal workers.

Specifically, he urged the President to reverse his policy of granting amnesty to illegal immigrants through selective deportation, and to focus on creating jobs for American citizens and legal workers instead of illegal immigrants.

“As someone who has worked on this issue for more than twenty years, I cannot sit back and not express my extremely strong disapproval with your new policy,” Gallegly wrote. “This decision, in addition to undermining the enforcement of our immigration laws, is a direct assault on the fourteen million Americans and legal immigrants who are looking for a job to support themselves and their families. It will result in higher unemployment and lower wages and benefits for many Americans, especially, but not limited to, those in the minority community.”

Gallegly noted in his letter that under the Constitution it is Congress’ job to create immigration policy and it is the President’s job to enforce it. While the President has been given some discretion, “Any discretion granted to you by Congress was intended to be limited and used rarely. Granting what is effectively an amnesty to 300,000 illegal immigrants in the process of being deported is a clear abuse of your discretion,” Gallegly wrote.

The full letter is attached.