The Obama administration addressed a petition that called for the deportation of Piers Morgan by stating on Thursday that the CNN host is free to express his opinions on any matter, including gun control. 

A petition was posted to the White House's We the People website in December 2012 advocating for Morgan's deportation back to his native England. The petition was started by gun-ownership advocates in response to Morgan's support for increased gun control following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Morgan wrote an op-ed for Daily Mail in which he said he loves America "as a second home" but called for a change in gun laws "to at least try to stop this relentless tidal wave of murderous carnage." He said when he confronted members of the gun lobby following the Sandy Hook shooting, their response was that everyone should be armed, which Morgan called "warped twisted logic that bears not statistical analysis and makes no sense."

"British Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment," the petition read. "We demand that Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens."

At time of publication, the petition had 109,334 signatures. 

The statement issued by the Obama' administration reminded those in support of Morgan's deportation that the First Amendment allows him to freely express his opinion.

"Let's not let arguments over the Constitution's Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First," stated White House press secretary Jay Carney.

"President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press-fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy."

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