Sen. Menendez Slams Kelly’s ‘Lazy’ Comment: ‘They Didn’t Apply Because They Were… Afraid of People like You’

EXCERPT:

MENENDEZ: "At the same time, we’re also talking about thousands of additional DREAMers who were eligible for DACA but didn’t apply. Some couldn’t afford the costs. Others were still working through the lengthy application process. These are the DREAMers the White H ouse Chief of Staff John Kelly calls lazy asses. Well, Mr. Kelly, here is what you don’t understand. The reason they didn’t apply is not because they were lazy. In fact, in many cases, they didn’t apply because they were afraid, afraid of people like you. They’re afraid that if they came out of the shadows and registered with the government, they would end up on a shortlist for deportation. And what’s depressing is that this administration’s actions have proven them right. Now DACA recipients and undocumented DREAMers alike fear that they have a target on their back, and that’s because President Trump put an expiration date on their dreams when he decided to end DACA."