Ashford accused the administration of playing politics with the issue and said Congress must pass comprehensive immigration reform.

“Otherwise, Dreamers will always be subject to the whims of the executive branch,” Ashford said.

“I support the existing DACA and oppose the efforts by the administration to repeal it. Its threatened repeal underlines the need for congressional action, through immigration reform and providing pathways to citizenship to include Dreamers and other undocumented individuals.”

Ashford has questioned the constitutionality of DACA, however, and the Eastman campaign highlighted one of his key votes as a House member.

Ashford first voted against GOP amendments attacking DACA, but once that battle was lost he voted in favor of a broader Homeland Security spending measure that included those provisions.

In fact, he was one of only two Democrats to support the spending bill, while 10 Republicans opposed it.

“In other words, Ashford did not vote with his new political party on the issue of protecting the Dreamers, siding instead with his old party, the Republicans,” according to the Eastman campaign statement.