Come to the second panel of witnesses first the special agent in charge of the field office for u. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the department of Homeland Security. Mr. Mile myles has worked with e Homeland Security investigation for over ten years and has an impressive record. Welcome. Next we have the honorable michael who currently serve as a chair of scott county mississippi. Athe Law Enforcement duties include keeping the peace within the county and in addition to serving as the counties jailer and keeping the jail and currently lives in mississippi. Serving as the mayor of canton mississippi, one of the six cities with a raid on august 7. He was elected to the office in 2017 but began working in the Public Interest in the age of 16 and h he was accompanied at the table with the superintendent of public schools, one of the districts located. Without objection, the witnesses for students will be inserted into the record and i now ask each witness to summarize it his or her statement for about five minutes beginning with mr. Myles. Chairman thompson and distinguished members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss a strategy that consists of a threepronged approach. Enforcement, criminal arrest of employers come administrative arrest of employees, compliance for the employment eligibility verification inspections, civil fines and suspensions and outreach the mutual agreement between government and Employers Program. HomelanHomeland Security invests is the departments primary agency focused on the transnational organizations and ais the sole investigative ageny become by the authorities hsi investigates the enforcement or within 400 criminal statutes that protect the nations travel and financial immigration systems. A special agent used this authority to investigate all types of criminal activity and working closely with donations in federal state, local, tribal Land Partners in the unified strategy to secure the United States. Today i would like to speak about the efforts in conducting targeted Law Enforcement operations. We do not conduct the sweeps were checkpoints. Any such reports create panic in places with Law Enforcement personnel. Groups falsely supportin doing e doing a disservice to those they claim to support. Hsi utilizes the inspections across the wide spectrum of industries throughout the United States. Hsi refers to the suspension and to prefer the federal Government Contracting individual businesses that commit serious criminal or serious offenses engaged in fraud or other in public conduct. The agreement between government and employees and Employers Program is a voluntary partnership with the private sector that offers training to ththe workforces and curbed unemployment of authorized workers. It seeks to promote principles of business conduct and to prevt the deliberate hiring of unauthorized workers through the selfgovernance. They begin to adopt the image best practices they will be able to enhance the focus with the nations immigration law. Hsi prioritizes the criminal worksite enforcement investigations by focusing on the most egregious violators that includes employers that mistreat or exploit the workers based upon the unlawful status and the workforce in the United States, create false identity documents or facility document fraud, utilize unauthorized workers of the Business Model in order to win we will be higher unauthorized workers. Hsi continues to prioritize the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources sectors and industries by ensuring that they do not have access to sensitive facilities or information. August 7, 2019, they executed a federal criminal search warrant and seven federal civil search warrant. These were the result of an 18 month investigation that was initiated person went to the tip line against the Companies Involved and today i will explain in the time allotted to me. He worked diligently to develop a plan to address the concerns that came out of the previous activities of this size or nature and they conducted coordination meetings could among all of the participating partners as well as the execution of the operation. Each was given its own group to manage the decisions of the local bubble to minimize the detention pure go of those determined to be amenable to some type of humanitarian relief. There were 32 cases to include those identified on theme. The preassigned personnel to make phone calls with the impact of schools after the operations began. We also set up a telephone hotline provided custody information to the relatives and friends of individuals detained in connection to the support obligation. The hotline provided information to the callers. They dedicate dedicated within 0 investigative powers to the case and see used mor seized more th0 documents, 61 digital devices and more than 2 22 terabytes of data. The criminal activities and identification of more than 400 individuals using the previously issued Social Security numbers. These investigations continued. Im grateful to appear before you and share these actions and discuss the commitment to utilize the authorities. I thank you for the support that you provide us the execute permission and i look forward to your questions. Thank you for the testimony and i now recognize the sheriff to summarize his statement for five minutes. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee is an honor and privilegaprivilege to appear beu to discuss the recent enforcement action in scott county. I am the sheriff of scott county and have been since 2007 and previously served as the chief of police for the city for ten years and have nearly 30 years of Law Enforcement and career enforcement. Ive lived in scott county all my life. As the highest ranked lawenforcement officer i am responsible for policing our entire county. For the perspective of the county, scott county is east of the city of jackson. They have approximately 28,000 residents. The most recent census data provided by the Census Bureau states that approximately 11. 5 of our citizens identify. Weve had latino workers in scott county since the 1990s. Over 3,000 people some of which are immigrants constitute a large workforce in scott county and are important to the economy. Theyve become part of the community, the children attend local schools and participate in local sport. The feedback i have received from our citizens is that folks admire latino communities, work ethic and the commitment to family. I based that on the fact i have not seen a spike in crime is the result of latino individuals leaving and working in our county. We are holding approximately 125 inmates. Only three of those identified as latino and one of those three is in scott county resident. This in my opinion on the criminal Justice System simply put the Scott County Sheriffs Department has not had problems with the latino community. I previously mentioned cook foods. One of the largest employers on august 7, 2019 of course it was one of the plants in the state of mississippi federal immigration officials raided nearly 250 employees were arrested by immigration officers. First let me say i swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of mississippi. I stand behind federal officers and in no way am i criticizing the hard work of enforcing our immigration laws. However i feel the actions on this day could have been handled better at my agency been prepared in advance. My office said no notice of the raid and therefore was taken by surprise. After this, my office, the school system, local citizens all have to step up to care for many of the children whose parents were arrested. The children of those arrested had nowhere to go for hours when school let out. They didnt arrive until 11 that night. Thanks to the schools, local citizens that included my wife and daughter and my department, we were able to care for those children however for warning of the action was for going and would have a lot of my office to be better prepared for the problems left in the wake of the raid. Thank you for the opportunity to appear. The chair recognizes the state went for five minutes. I want to recognize congressman lee and all youve done not just for the state of mississippi but for the nation. Congressman thompson highway are well aware of the competition and we thank you for being here. I have with me today the School District and the chief of poli police. What happened on that day the clandestine acts perpetrated i want to take you back to 2019 went without the acknowledgment they invaded for the purpose of identifying those that worked there were those in the state of mississippi that were created by icepack to be co vice for the intended mission and as the mayor of the city of canton was never noticed. I informed about the plans of one of our businesses here in the city. My discovery was accidental. As a consequence of a citizen informing me that i lived on fulton street and carried workers away by handcuff who were transported to the National Armory in mississippi. I approached one of them and introduced myself as the mayor of the city and requested to speak with whomever was in charge for the purpose of trying to understand and to assess what was occurring in my city. It was at that time i was able to visualize for the purpose of being transported to a heist which was unknown to me at that time. No africanamerican workers were elected were transported. The police chief, the superintendent of education and the director of the department of Human Services were never informed. Its my understanding that at the time they took place, some of the individuals were documented with appropriate papers. This was the first day of school and the children of these individuals arrested and transported to an unknown site to be processed. The children were still in school. And return home not knowing that their parents had been arrested. The population are not gang members or rapists or murderers, but folks who work and pay taxes, purchase goods, take care of each other and their family. It is my understanding that there were at least 125 to 130 hispanic employees who were arrested that resulted in a loss of 125 to 130 people working. I do not know the Economic Loss nor the impact of this to the city of canton but i do know that it was an economic impact. Throughout the state of mississippi, there were seven industries that were rated to 600 people arrested, 30 of those released. This was a terrifying moment for those individuals that included desecration of parents and children. Its my understanding nothing was in place but to be faced, protected and secured. No social Services Including dhs were on the noticed to target children who were going to be separated from their parents. I am of the opinion that when they raid the community they are a target in that community and at least the mayor and the government authorities, the chief of police come superintendenon thesuperintended director of Human Services should be placed on notice. It was a terrifying experience for the arrestees in a personal experience for me and my community. The congressman talked about this and a lot of people said to be coming here say you are too young to remember this but when she was talking about that record she was talking about plessy versus ferguson as we went over the ground versus board of education. She was talking about little rock nine. Talking about the merits being blocked out of the universities of mississippi. She was talking about the atrocities of humanity and the demand, the brutality during the time of yesteryear. Think all of you. Thank you very much. [applause] i yield myself five minutes for opening questions. You had the advanced notice. Ive received no advance notice while they were continuing. Your testimony your conversation with the superintendent of education and or chief of police and fire chiefs there was no notificati notification. So, what is the policy sa does y about the notifications . We dont have a policy that says we are obligated to notify anyone. I want to enter into the record a letter from matthew whose Deputy Director senior official let me tell you what he said in the letter is clark, loral in Forest County you need to provide them to the committee. Im more than happy to provide them. Did you contact the Scott County Sheriffs Department . I never said i did. I will ask the question. We did contact the School Districts. What about the canton School District . It seems like we only contacted the county School Districts. If i told you that it was located in the canton School District, would i say that is an oversight . That you did not contact there is no reflection of the schools being contacted. What social Service Agencies did you contact . We didnt conduct any social Service Agencies but its my opinion that they spoke to someone in the social Service Agency but i dont remember the name. Who told you that . The United States attorney. She was in our office injects jackson mississippi. He told you he talked to somebody but you dont know who. I dont remember the name that he gavbuthe gave me. Have you gotten any information about the companies that have the individual simply . You perform the work site. What is needed if you say that is not needed. That is our investigation against the other allegations in the investigation. The one you keep relating to try to get to the information. Im doing the best i can. Not giving very good. You asked me what we got and i told you i got 850,000 i will ask that question and you just answered only when you are asked. No editorializing. Okay. Thank you. Youve been in scott county of your life. Determined whether or not they are threats to the community and i think your testimony has pretty much said these are good people. Am i correct . Let me make sure that im making this clear for those that were taken primarily if not all they may have criminal records known to me but they were good hard working people. I wont yield to the gentle lady from texas. Thank you so very much. Let me thank all of the witnesses. Mr. Miles, sheriff lee, the sheriff in houston. I work extensively with Law Enforcement and of course i know that let me be very clear this isnt intended to not recognize the legal apparatus of the United States of america dealing with the question of law and immigrants. We are a nation of law and immigrants. But i do want to plaintively try to raise some concerns. I have the response ability of oversight. The chairman for the hearing. What we find out, did you find any high dollar targets among the 608 courses that you wrapped up . I would ask you to clarify what you mean by that high dollar targets. Involved in the nature criminal activity, somebody youve been looking for for decades, months. Anybody in that group . To date, no. My time is short. You released about 300 fewer immediately so that shows that they either have some basis of being able to get out is that correct . We release them for humanitarian reasons. But that means they were not they were even too dangerous to release. That is the case correct . How long have you been in office or . Since its inception in 2003. Under the administration, you were able to do your job is that correct . I know that under the Previous Administration there were deportations and im not asking that question, but the rate of this type during those eight years, just you in particular. Those eight years i was in mexico. But you did not engage in one whether it was mexico or the United States. As indicated, this administration didnt get any high dollar targets. You use t used to have a Million Dollars in one days work as i understand the numbers is that correct . Its my understanding the numbers provided was the cause for the total investigation. I would have to go back and look. The precise numbers that are still not reunited with their family. I dont have that number. Do you realize how inviting the answer is quite you may have relatives, nieces or nephews. We are looking at families here. For me to sit here as a mother and have the answer you do not know the answer to the question, let me make an official request i think the chairman already have a letter but again i want to know the numbers of children that are not yet reunited with their family members. Well you provide to us . I will do everything in my power to give it to you. Let me thank you very much. I promote the working of federal Law Enforcement with local Law Enforcement how devastating is it for your department, out on the streets dealing with protecting the community not to know about this, how devastating and piercing it is in terms of the relationship with your federal Law Enforcement which i know that you work with very well. We work with and welcome all federal agencies and work well with them. When these were done, the need for secrecy was felt for the lack of better terms, the word did not get out and i understand that. But if our office could have been notified after they were due, we somewhat could have been able to easily handle the situation we have after the schools let out. I wish i had a monetary amount to know how much th this is insd with the Sheriffs Department to know how much money we lost trying to make sure that the children were in the right places. Would you we believe in local officials being respected in our federal efforts. What did that do to you and your community . When you have been coming in and rating the communities as always theres escalation. Escalation that perhaps the outcome may not be good. Im under the impression that our health department, Police Chiefs and all of those that have an interest in protecting folks need to know the a situation like this has occurred in your town and theres always a risk for negative outcomes. I think the policies need to be instituted in at least what the chief of police know. Do you think the policies were cruel . Its like an agency came in and took over and we didnt know anything about the agency coming in. Its without any collaboration or corroboration or acknowledgment. Did you arrest any companies so far, did you charge any of the employers, have you charged any of the employers . The federal register if i could put into the record they have been allotted 300,800,000 to retain unaccompanied children and theyve been allotted 50 million for the first and that facility is now empty. So, i just want to contribute that for the concept of the policies that we are now having the hearing for. With that i will yield back. Without objection. The gentleman from texas for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Would you for the record to state your official title . Special agent in charge for the Homeland Security homeland y investigations out of new orleans louisiana. How long did you participate in the planning . I probably got involved with the planning of it in june of 2019. So you were there for an extensive amount of time. There is no good way to answer the question. We had meetings on a regular basis because in my office is in new orleans so most of the planning occurred in jackson. Did your plan were . Pretty much as you intended . I would say the plan worked well. This is here and say that it was a perfect plan it wasnt perfect but it worked well. So you planned to have them for 680 detained people. 11, yes sir. Understanding people would have to contact relatives, have children picked up but you decided for 680 people. And you planned to separate children from their parents. We planned to arrest people violating the federal law. In the process did you contemplate that some of these persons would have children . Yes sir, we did. You have to plan to separate them or plan to keep them together but the evidence is such that you separated it. I would argue if you are going to use the definition of the word separate it insinuates that the children were when them. The children were not with them. Were they able to go home to their children that evening . No sir like anybody that gets arrested there are many definitions but when a parent cant go back to a child and the child is expecting the pier and in my world the parent is separated from the child. As with anybody arrested in the United States. Is it true that you separated mothers who are breastfeeding . We received reports of that and none of the reports overboard out. I got evidence from the reports indicating that at least three mothers were breastfeeding and were separated from their babies. We will take that evidence as well. There is a person in this room that spoke to me this morning and indicated that she is aware of a mother who was separated was breastfeeding. My argument with be we dont work with secondhand testimony. Lets see if we can summarize. You planned this as a result parents were separated from their children and as a result those who may or may not have been breastfeeding were separated from their children and as a result there were 11 fold they would need to Contact People and as a result of the raid, the first day of school separated parents from their children did you planned to do this on the first day of school . We plan to do with august 7. Was it unknown to you tha but was the first day of school . It was unknown to me that it was the first day of school. Is it the case that you didnt plan while . You said you planned well. Are you concluding you planned well by him the first day of school implementing this in this area . You planned well and if you did. We planned for that. Im going to tell you what it is. Those children, many of them are going to school for the first time. Its the first day for a lot of firstgraders. These babies are expecting the parents to be there for them when they return home. They ought not to be separated from their parents. [applause] i dont believe that you believe that this was a very good deterrent. I dont believe if i want you to say it. Do you believe that this was a very good deterrent . Deterring for what . In the sense that the chief executive officer in the current state but your boss. Am i allowed to editorialize now backs i absolutely believe it was a good deterrent. Taking babies from their mothers is not a deterrent the country wants to be known for. [applause] i will yield back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. First, you and congressman thompson and the sheriff and mr. Thompson the indications in mississippi is better. It couldnt have been worse, but its much better. When i see the shootings and the clan observed to dare i worry about some of the elements that exist and im sure that you do as well. [applause] does your jurisdiction include station at tennessee . Absolutely did. Were they charged with any offenses . They were sentenced to 18 months. None of the people arrested at irs problems, did they . It was before my tenure here. March 4 but i didnt show up until late april and this occurred before i showed up so i wasnt in the plan. This is a question hopefully there is information from. The organizations that come to help the detainees and people detained that were kept separate from the asylum population, do you know if that is true or not . They manage all of the populations. So they would be seeking this beyond your knowledge. Let me go back to what he was asking you. First, i can understand if you might have other things in mind that in the future you might want to take that into consideration. There were violent criminal histories. I do have a number for the criminal histories. Im looking right now. I think we have six Domestic Violence and fun rape, two battery, one resisting arrest. Resisting arrest is not a felony. It is a state crime. I was a Deputy Sheriff for eight years. Resisting arrest was a felony. Resisting arrest is different than just battery. I thought you said resisting arrest was a felony. It could be a felony. Lets not get into all of those technicalities. How many of those people are still incarcerated, do you know . The detention is run by the removal operations. I want to commend you on your position. You reflect well on mississippi how has this affected your city economically it was diluted to buy the chair man earlier we have businesses that are there for a latino community. The businesses act within the walls and theres no problem with those. Some of them that are near scott county or the process of closing down have completely closed down. It had a negative impact on the city of camden were that many people. As a consequence that isnt going to happen. What is your medical specialty . How do you think this will last is a temporary thing . Let me follow up with mr. Miles. The question do you think this was an effective deterrent and why do you think it is for folks wanting to come across the border to the United States . Because a lot of the people that are coming here are coming for economic reasons. It will deter them from coming here. I think thats wha that what hae confuse the argument of the Economic Immigration and there is a vast difference. I spent seven years in mexico and working with the mexican government, the guatemalan government, immigration, cartels. So, im telling you when we take away some of the economic incentive that is going to have an impact. One of the web is previously made a comment of a read of the jackson herald, no they dont the people that moved them here that as a whole other underground industry they know and tell them and they say come now, dont come now, do this, and again it is a huge industry. The fact that we are here talking about it and use terms of how it is not dangerous to mississippi, fine. There are 400 stolen ids of these employees you say havent committed a crime. They stole the ids of the 400 u. S. Citizens. You have a tough job and your kind of put in that spot you dont have the policy you to carry out and i understand that, i also think that going after employers and you mentioned in response to turning thompson you got all this data in the hope you use it to get the employers because those that are the root of the problem dont have the incentive to hire the folks and wont have the incentive then youre not going to have the problem and it seems like that is a place that you should concentrate your activities. That is absolutely what we are giving and by the case was started et months ago for the purpose of going after the highest level we can get to. We are not satisfied with going after the lowlevel people. But as i am assuming all of you understand, it is a lengthy process to build a criminal prosecution. We serve search warrants. That is one step in the building of criminal investigation. Its not the final step, it isnt the first step. It is a step. It is a visible step and become under a lot of criticism and instead of months from now or a year when we finalize the investigation there will be nobody thanking us for it. I appreciate your service. The gentle lady from texas has a question. I want to followup on that previous line of questioning. Thank you, mr. Chairman and i must say we thank you for your service. I acknowledge the fact this is a nation of laws and immigrants as well. Let me again focus on the collective results even though we are still going somewhat through the process. I see a sign that dare i think i can read it but one of the mothemothers come in members ofe community it says we need the whole family. I think that is what her sign saying. I believe she is talking about the keep the family together and children shouldnt be separated. So, i cannot emphasize enough that you should give us the numbers if you will of the children still unaccompanied. Second is to deal with i am baffled by the purpose of this because the number of agents could have found the individuals in the respective homes over a period of time and at the same time that you were doing this, the president of the United States announced another act indicating to cities across america she was getting ready to raid. No one wants to give information whether they are victimized in that community or to be able to help if they see a crime being perpetrated. So you were being victimized yourself by this announcement unless they are going to do it around Christmas Day maybe that is when they are going to do that. The search is over at the doorstep is an effort to make sure that people were protected, not against ultimately being brought to response but for the fear one or two in the morning. My question to you, i understand the military adheres to the rules and orders of the commander in chief but it is a civilian organization and in america, civilians and others have right. If someone in your organization came and said this is in the right way to do this, this is an effective, this is cruel and inhumane, tears are coming to my eyes. How would that person be responded to and what yo would d that information to washington . Did get to their homeland . With the president be aware some of the very people working under these policies feel offended, would that have been . I was a relay that information to my chain of command. That is what i would do in any y complaint a worker brought forth to me but i will say this if i am permitted. Its one thing to sit here and say this is cruel or this, that and the other. The problem with looking at us and saying you should exercise discretion i think that puts too much power in the hands of the police. Do you not, because if you want us as a unit and a group to go first of all let me say it is a criminal law to come into the country illegally. At the same time it wasnt our policy. The wall is one thing but to implement it in certain ways is another. There is no prohibition for the agents to knock on the doors of people where they know where they are or to indicate we need people to come out from the job. There is nothing that stops you from doing it. They decided to say enough is enough. If someone filed a complaint, finally, it is my understanding that to date there is no major crimes solved except for the immediacy of immigration laws but no major crimes have been solved out of the 608 persons that were rounded up now taken out. 400 cases of identity. Is that not a serious crime x. Shes got to ask the question before you can answer. But she did. Just calm down. I am calm. And be quiet. Thats different. [applause] [cheering] let me say this because you wont get me on the record saying that. All of us have been in Law Enforcement from the perspective of being a former judge and a Municipal Court and as well as being involved in this committee and the judiciary for a very long time. With no major massive bust of an issue in the individual cases. There were no major crime syndicates. Mr. Miles in the written testimony you indicate they conduct the targeted Law Enforcement operations, is that correct . That is correct. To conduct the operation requires to do some advanced investigation is that correct . Yes sir that is correct. And if you would want to assume that you knew at these various locations there was a person who would be in violation of the law is this correct . That is correct, sir. If you knew there were persons in violation of the law, namely immigrants, you would also have some evidence that employers were in violation of the law as well. The employers are also abolished. [applause] ill walk you through it. I will walk you through. Heres what happens, you indicated that you wanted to take away the economics incentives and you do that by coming in and taking the undocumented person, have them do a walk, show some of that on television and then you can somehow deteriorate. Enter persons in your mind. But you dont have a perp walk for the employers. They dont get arrested. We dont handcuff them and take them away. Is it true that you have not arrested an employer and theres no employer jail for this . Is this true . You said it was earlier. This is not going to be available today, is it true that there are no employers incarcerated . It is true. And this happened months ago . That is true. You knew before you came all were being broken but you picked on the undocumented person to the exclusion of the employer who deposed to check the everify system. , this is not the way we treat people in the United States of america. [applause] the gentleman yells back. The donovan from tennessee. I want to thank you for inviting me here, ive learned a lot, its a privilege to be in this institution and i to get back to memphis, every days worth of folks starting in the office at 3 00 p. M. And i have to meet with them. Let me think again for coming down, your presence is not a lost to us. Thank you very much pray. [applause] in the interest of time we will have a wrapup. Let me mr. Chairman thank you very much, again i must emphasize to mississippi who was a major aspect term and thompson has been to the securing of this nation, we do not take a backseat on this committee every day we walk into the Homeland Security room and we know the daunting responsibility that we have into all of the witnesses here to care for this nation. And to all of those that are here, i know amongst you are patriots and men and women who served in the United States military and i attest recently in a hearing or a meeting dealing with the unfortunate treatment of immigrant military personnel. So were being guided by policies that really have no basis in substance, they are skewing the constitution and the way we have maxed immigrants and laws and citizens. Mr. Miles, youre on record saying no employer has been arrested. That is why my question was, whether or not if there was a special agent in charge or a. I. s officer or agent that came and said this is unfair, i would hope that their message would get to washington to us to the secretary and maybe ultimately to the person who is been the implementation or of the cruel and unworkable policies that are impacting families and children. The president needs to know that in the places beyond the boundaries of washington, none of his policies are working, no border wall, he has cruelly separated children, families are being not reunited and i dont know whether or not you are making the nation safe with these particular policies, not suggesting your work does not make us safe. I hope you can convey that there is a great deal of disturbance around this issue, no employer arrested, children not able to give us the number of those still separated, the idea that we want to promote from washington with cooperation of local officials, School Districts, superintendents and now you say to us and we are seeing, im embarrassed that these local officials have a responsibility, the sheriff admitted that you can have investigations that may not mean an immediate information out but while it was going on, the mistreatment of the mayor when he asked an agent what was going on and an agent cutting a seatbelt, anybody with a weak heart might have passed out right there. And it was a woman. I want to close my remarks by an apology to these families, i have enough dignity to apologize on behalf of the United States. [applause] and not diminish the men and women who worked for Homeland Security. And i will not take a backseat to my advocacy for those individuals. I am willing to apologize. This is the illconceived cruel and inhumane and ineffective way to govern our immigration laws. If you have suggested that i as a member of congress, have written some law that gives the permission for separation of children, there is no print to that. It is the way it is enacted, policy are what causes that. So it is to put into the record, nobody open the door, rally, neighbors rally during an ice raid in houston, texas asking ammons consent, i asked for an article in the chronicle she said they could cease salt certain searchers asking ammons consent. Without objection. In the mirror city of houston ways in unexpected ice raid. None of this is who violates the law, only to recognize that we can enforce the law but we do not have to be perpetrated of injustice and we do not have to duplicate those adversaries in places where many of us know the leadership like russia, we do not have to be russia, we can be the United States of america, a great country respecting you. I yield back. I thank you for having us in this hearing and we have a lot of walk under work to do in washington, d. C. Thank you very much. [applause] the chair recognizes the gentleman from houston, texas. Thank you mr. Chairman. I would like to compliment you for bringing this hearing to this college. I compliment you because mr. Chairman, i have been in Congress Since 2005 and to be very honest, there are not many chairpersons who would hold this hearing about this topic at this time. You deserve i compliment you. [applause] i want to close with this, there were indications that the immigrants were not in threat and there was not a local request for aid and assistance, there was no invitation from the local incendiary to have this take place, it seems to me that in targeting we ought to at least, before we perfect a raid of this type, talk to the local sheriff. He might have information about the crimes that are being committed, talk to the mayor, he might have an opinion about the crimes that are being committed. I just hope that this will help us and you as you proceed with future endeavors. My hope is that you will give some consideration to the local population before you do this again. And all close with this, i love my country, i say the pledge of allegiance, i sing the national anthem. Nobody is going to say that im not a patriotic american. With any degree of credibility and as a patriotic american as you are, i say to you, this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. [applause] thank you. Thank you very much. Let me think my colleagues for coming to mississippi for this hearing, i want to think the people who came today to the hearing. Your presence speaks volumes and her interest in this issue. Im convinced that over time we will fix this problem, as all my colleagues have said, we are a greater country than this. Should not under any circumstance separate children from their parents, i am a grandparent i know how precious young people are. I would not take pride in this country that separates its children, we are better than that. I know people that have a job to do, its a difficult job but you can do it with compassion and i think its a compassion or lack of in the situation and others that causes us concern. We will continue to conduct rigorous oversight, we will get back to the witnesses on it. I have some statements i would like to acknowledge for the record from the southern poverty law center, the National Immigration law center, the mississippi immigrants right alliance, the mississippi right Alliance Legal project, the Mississippi Center for justice, the center for law and society, Community Change action, southeast Immigration Rights network, as well as testimonies from people who are still incarcerated who share their letters with us, we have rejected some of the information. But their stories on what they have gone through since august is gut wrenching at best. I want to think, again all of our witnesses, you shared the information, we take this back and we take it seriously, we will do all that we can and hopefully we will fix some of this but we need to get it on the record. So again, the members of the committee may have additional questions for you and we ask that you respond expeditiously in writing to those questions. Hearing no further business, the committee stands adjourned. [applause] [inaudible conversations]