New head of ICE deserved broader support in Senate

In what should have been — a strong bipartisan show of support for the talented, highly qualified Texan nominee to lead the second-largest federal law enforcement agency ultimately gave way to petty politics about President Barack Obama.

Still, Sarah Saldaña, who became the first Latina in Texas to become a U.S. attorney in 2011, was confirmed by the Senate on a 55-39 vote Tuesday to become assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. In that position, she will head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Obama nominated the Corpus Christi native for the job in August. The nomination was expected to have smooth sailing because of her reputation and the fact that she had gone through the confirmation process for her current job of U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, a 100-county area.

In fact, Texas’ two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, earlier helped in her nomination to ICE, with Cornyn praising and formally introducing Saldaña at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in September.

But in the interim, the president issued an executive order that would defer deportations of millions of undocumented workers, a move that became a lightning rod for many Republicans in Congress.

On the floor of the Senate, Cornyn addressed his colleagues before the vote on Saldaña’s confirmation and said he “regrettably” opposed the nomination because she supported the president’s action.

What is regrettable is that Cornyn chose to allow the process to devolve into partisan squabbling over the president rather than the qualifications of this nominee.

Saldaña, a summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University-Kingsville with a law degree from Southern Methodist University, has proved herself to be a tough, independent prosecutor who was willing to take on corruption cases against prominent Democratic politicians in Dallas County.

Because of her keen knowledge of the immigration issue, many see her as an ideal person to lead the $6 billion ICE, which enforces immigration laws, trade issues and border control.

It is good that the Senate wasted no more time in getting her confirmed for the position, but it’s a shame there couldn’t have been more bipartisan support for a nominee in such a vital national position.

This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 5:44 PM with the headline "New head of ICE deserved broader support in Senate."