Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the vote to confirm General John Kelly as Secretary of Homeland Security:

“The Department of Homeland Security is a large and sprawling agency: a combination of 22 government organizations and 240,000 employees. Its task is critical: the protection of the homeland. It is very important that a Cabinet secretary has the wherewithal to prioritize and manage, which is difficult to do with such a large department. I believe that General Kelly has the background and commitment to do both of these, and that is why I am voting for him.

“I plan to communicate regularly with General Kelly and his staff on the issue of immigration, which affects many Californians. I’m especially concerned about the young people who have benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. California is home to nearly half of these young people, who were brought here —through no choice of their own— at a young age and who know no other home than the United States. All evidence shows that these young women and men are doing well. They are educating and distinguishing themselves and making a commitment to their country. In my strong view, this program should not be reversed, but in fact should be ‎preserved and made permanent by Congress.

“The solution to these problems, in which the Department of Homeland Security plays a key role, lies in comprehensive immigration reform. We need to protect our borders and enforce immigration laws, but we must also ensure that we uphold the American tradition of welcoming immigrants and work toward fixing our broken immigration system.”

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