Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents’ union president Chris Crane called on Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio to abandon the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” in the U.S. Senate pushing immigration reform on Friday in a statement obtained exclusively by Breitbart News.

“Senator Rubio was asked during a recent interview that ‘if you don’t get enforcement first, or securing the borders first, is that a deal killer for you?,’” Crane said. “And he replied ‘Absolutely…Because we will be right back here again.’ But the outline from the Gang of 8 offers legalization, or amnesty, before enforcement is accomplished. Senator Schumer admitted as much: ‘we’ve come to a basic agreement, which is that first, people will be legalized…Then, we will make sure the border is secure.’ I would then respectfully call on Senator Rubio to follow through on his commitment to the American people — and his pledge to accomplish enforcement before legalization – and to leave the Gang of 8.” …

“There is nothing in the proposed plan that I have seen to suggest that there will be any effort to accomplish enforcement before legalization occurs,” Crane said. “Moreover, a lack of strong and immediate interior enforcement means the US will again become a sanctuary for the millions of illegal aliens who undoubtedly will flood across our nation’s borders in the future. Once across the border, guidance from the Obama administration will continue to prohibit ICE officers from enforcing immigration laws on the interior of the United States providing illegal aliens with safe haven and residence.”