Hayes Grills GOP Rep Who Suggested Obama Could Face Jail Time over Immigration

One Republican member of Congress has an incredibly dim view of President Obama‘s executive action on immigration. Congressman Mo Brooks made comments this week, reported by Slate, that the president could face jail time for his immigration action (note: these comments were made before Obama’s speech last night).

“At some point,” he said, “you have to evaluate whether the president’s conduct aids or abets, encourages, or entices foreigners to unlawfully cross into the United States of America. That has a five-year in-jail penalty associated with it.”

Brooks appeared on Chris Hayes‘s MSNBC show tonight, and right off the bat Hayes asked him if he thinks Obama’s executive action is criminal. Brooks said, “I don’t know, I’m going to have to reserve judgment on that.”

Hayes asked if Ronald Reagan enticed foreigners to sneak into America with immigration action he took. Brooks admitted he didn’t know the specifics of Reagan’s action (though he repeatedly said Bill Clinton‘s name instead).

From there, Hayes and Brooks tussled over whether the latter would be in favor of deporting all the people that Obama’s action would stop the deportation of. Brooks spoke of being compassionate and didn’t give a yes-or-no answer, but did say “if I have to make a decision between Americans getting jobs and illegal aliens getting jobs” he would side with the American people.

Watch the full segment below, via MSNBC:

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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