washington white house friday defend deportation policy complaints democratic presidential candidates congressional leaders sweep target central american illegal immigrants inhumane reuters report thursday u.s. immigration officials plan month-long series raid may june deport hundreds central american mother children find enter country illegally white house spokesman josh earnest acknowledge deportation operations consistent president barack obama policy focus deport criminals recent immigrants cross u.s. border illegally jan. 2014 one remove ongoing pending claim appeal asylum form humanitarian relief earnest tell reporters brief serve discourage people consider make journey would good thing earnest say 2014 wave children flee violence honduras el salvador guatemala surge across u.s. border inflame debate deal 11 million undocumented immigrants live unite state plan new raid response renew surge illegal entries central american women travel children january immigration officer round 121 people mostly women children three state spark criticism democrats run replace obama nov. presidential elections thursday democratic presidential front-runner hillary clinton reiterate concern new plan large-scale raid tear families apart sow fear communities clinton say democratic presidential candidate senator bernie sanders say oppose painful inhumane business lock deport families try escape violence countries congress senate democratic leader harry reid call obama reconsider plan focus address instability central america democratic representative luis gutierrez illinois critic obama administration deportation policies complain administration leak word deportations scare people away come unite state last time people call office raid existent create panic create fear terrible terrible way bring policy issue gutierrez tell reporters stop talk illegal immigrants asylum seekers say white house defend deportations democratic complaints