Transcripts For CSPAN Lawmakers Spar Over Immigration Policy At Enforcement Hearing 20170402

Pound] crises subcommittee will be a in order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recesses of the committee at any time. We welcome everyone to todays enforcementestoring of our nations Immigration Laws. The chair recognizes himself for an Opening Statement. The title of that this meeting is restoring our Immigration Laws. President obamas delivered undermining of our Immigration Laws, the growth of antiimmigration policies at every level of government and the vilification of state and local officers who attempt to dulyce our nations enacted Immigration Laws. Our Immigration Laws are an expression of our immigration countrys sovereignty. Were the past eight years they were largely ignored in the example with that from the top. The of them administration abandoned the rule of law under discretion. Orial it had devastating consciousness. A coldblooded murder. Terroristui and to the sanging from bernardino. Of a rockville teenager. The time has come and gone for the laws to be truly restored. Catch it release of rubber at the border and its outright prohibition on isis carrying outrom the Critical Mission have let this nation and increasingly at risk. The skyhigh credible fear of make theant rates dangerous illicit journey to the United States. The aliens overran our border. Fear and asylum claims increased tenfold. Simultaneously, the internal 265000dropped to only and 2016. The Trump Administration inherited a shell of Immigration Enforcement that it must now rebuild. I am pleased that we will hear from witnesses who can fully federal,he benefits of state, local cooperation and the detrimental effects of obstruction. These sanctuary communities have decided to make it a political statement out of lawlessness. The report that isil now regularly issues to prove itself a useful tool of continually identifying these jurisdictions in the criminals they allow all onto our streets. The government must discourage, not encourage, sanctuary policies and practices. Under dhss november 14, 2014, departmental guidance, ice was given stringent parameters on removing these aliens to remove. Traditional guidance ending the successful secure communities programs further constricted these parameters. This was sold to the American People is prioritizing ices limited resources to go after only the worst of the worst. Yet the number of criminal aliens removed from the interior fell from almost 87000 and approximately4 to and a under president obama [indiscernible] instead, it encourage many aliens to see asylum. Correct this and already the flow of illegal aliens across the border has significantly slowed. Endemic. Lem is i look forward to hearing from our witnesses on the best practices to address a silent fraud. It is now my pleasure to ranking recognize the Ranking Member on immigration of border for an Opening Statement. Thank you mr. Chairman. Ouroring enforcement of nations immigration zola laws implies that up until recently our Immigration Laws went unendorsed. Nothing could be further from the truth. The past administration deported more immigrants than any other Previous Administration. President obama even earned the porterinchief. This massive increase in deportation never satisfied many republicans who repeatedly kept fighting this proposed supposed lack of enforcement. These alternative facts reuse avoid fixingn to our broken immigration system. Today, republicans control all levels of the government and instead of finally attacking the pervasive problems affecting our immigration system, they are focused on attacking Community Governments with Community Trust policies. President trumps executive orders tempt to shame and withhold federal funds from jurisdictions that resist, in the administrations opinion, the federal government request to cooperate with Immigration Enforcement. Specificallyion, the 10th amendment, protects state rights and prohibits federal actions that commandeer federal and state officials. When it comes to immigration, these principles somehow seem to be overlooked. Recently i was at a meeting where the mayor of san jose the san do not send out Jose Police Department to enforce the security and exchange laws, the federal tax laws, the maritime laws, or the Immigration Laws. That is the job of the federal government. Their wellknown constitutional limits on the ability of the federal government to withhold fund to the states. State and local officials know their communities and how to keep them safe better than the federal government. The constitutions longstanding principles apparently are either ignored or seen as an impediment by some people. In the recent executive order on interior enforcement, President Trump a polished the prior administrations and force of priorities to go after all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, just as President Trump promised he would do. And while this may satisfy most extreme elements in our country, it is not smart. It does not make our country safer. It does not make our country stronger. It has created a culture of fear. There are videos of parents taken from their u. S. Citizen children by armed ice officers wearing the word police on their best. There are stories of mothers living in this country for decades being deported after dutifully checking into ice appointments and threats by the department of Homeland Security, the secretary himself, to separate mothers from their children for deterrence purposes. These acts isd by pervasive and paralyzing communities across our country. The heartbreaks of many families across the country, but we should not dismiss how it is making communities less safe. We have seen reports of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault drop dramatically among latinos and loss angeles. We should also not dismiss the devastating economic consequences im sure well have. It is time to stop the posturing and start thinking about ways to fix our broken immigration system. I stand ready to work with my colleagues across the aisle to reform our Immigration Laws from top to bottom. Without mr. Chairman i yield back the balance. If i could, mr. Chairman, would also like unanimous consent to enter into the record statements from the following individuals and organizations expressing trumps about president Immigration Enforcement policies and that would be the National Immigration justice center, the chiefs of police of marshalltown, iowa, the retired to simply set of arden city, of immigrationr reform movement, the National Task force on domestic and central violence, the messages within 10 Refugee Advocacy Coalition as well as a letter from 292 law professors and scholars saying that the resident posix i can afford or is unconstitutional. President sat the effort is unconstitutional. I wish him well in the senate with whatever he is talking about there. Tohouse members will have ask the voters every two years to deal with the senators. I would know recognize the foring member of michigan his Opening Statement for five minutes. Mr. Chairman, with the unanimous request. Without objection. The unanimous consent request will be granted. Senator. Congratulations again on your ascension to the chairmanship of this important committee. Wantrs of the committee, i ill to know that we welcome all of our witnesses and look forward to their testimony and i would just like to remind quotedo not frequently former president ronald reagan, but he once said our nation is , moreon of immigrants than any other country our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands. That quote was on controversy thatmong my republican quote was not controversial among all of my republican friends and it should not be so now. The moral andn of social work of immigrants is not a artisan position. It is simply american. As we begin todays hearing, i urge my colleagues to use this forum to examine sensible, effective measures rooted in for enforcingice our laws and keeping our communities safe. Consider ismust that studies have repeatedly shown that immigrants in the are less likely than nativeborn americans to engage in crime. The vast majority of immigrants in the United States are peaceful, lawabiding individuals who support their families and communities. Theher fact is that southern border is more secure than ever. Apprehension rates at the southern border have plummeted since the 1980s and apprehensions of mexicans specifically have reached their lowest point in nearly half a century. This helps explain why most americans do not want the trump border wall, which would cost staggering 20 750on of a bill and million annually to maintain, it is estimated. Facts, andding these others, the Current Administration continues to vilify immigrants and attacked the communities that have decided not to conscript their Law Enforcement into a mass deportation port. In fact, yesterday a journey general attorney general sessions threaten to with hold federal funding from such jurisdictions. Let me be clear, attorney general sessions should not substitute his judgment for that of Law Enforcement and local jurisdictions. Keep the Community Local jurisdictions. The attorney general to place a high priority on fighting crime, but threatens to withhold muchneeded Justice Department funding from the very agencies that are on the front lines in. Rotecting all of us over 600 counties and cities have made the decision to resist the Administration Efforts to conscript their local officials into a mass Deportation Force because experience and data show that local enforcement of federal Immigration Law often makes communities less safe. It breeds profiling. Discrimination. Distressed. This trust. Immigrants stop reporting crimes to authorities and criminals grow emboldened. Studies have shown that the sanctuary cities are actually safer in and more prosperous than their nonstation where he counterparts nonsanctioned where he counterparts. The guise of reporting the laws, we have already witnessed donald trump and his administration followed through on Divisive Campaign rhetoric with actions that threaten our and will don values nothing to make us safer. To cite a few examples in less than 90 days, this administration has already threatened and unconstitutional use of federal Spending Authority to strongarm local jurisdictions into enforcing local jurisdiction federal Immigration Law. The fourthes amendment pressure and cities into detaining immigrants without probable cause. Conducting indiscriminate raids on peaceful immigrant families in their homes and evens of works and schools. Such antiimmigrant measures not only mean cereals constitutional not only mean serious constitutional concerns but it threatens our nation as an immigrant safe haven. I yield back. Thank you. Without objection, other members Opening Statements will be made part of the record. We have a very distinguished panel. I will begin by swearing in our witnesses by introducing them. Rise. Would, please all do solemnly swear the testimony you give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you not . Let the record show that all witnesses answered in the affirmative. First, sheriff hodgson. Under his watch, the Sheriffs Office has established a worn apprehension union, a task for departmentt, his participates in a program that he, along with other sheriffs, has called for the Immigration Reform with the emphasis on Border Security and interior enforcement. He previously testified before the massachusetts General Court regarding sanctuary policies. Serves asa vaughan the director of policy studies with the center for immigration role, shed in that studies numerous facets of immigration policy including immigration Law Enforcement. Prior to this, she served as a Foreign Service officer with the state department and has testified before this committee on numerous immigration related matters including at a simile hearing in 2015. Ms. Mann has a masters degree from Georgetown University and earned her bachelors degree in International Study at Washington College in maryland. Mr. Angela arthur is the former staff director for the government reform and oversight committee. Serving as a staff director, he was an immigration judge for the United States department of justice, executive office for immigration review of pennsylvania immigration court. Of a also a fellow judiciary committee, immigration and served as counsel for five years advising the chairman, me, relating to the enforcement of Immigration Laws in immigration policy. He has received his ba from the university of virginia and the law degree from the George Washington University School of law. The next serves as chief of icy and programs that the justice center. She spearheads national and local policy programmatic initiative, overseeing direct services to immigrant women and forging and mobilizing divers bipartisan coalitions to press for laws, regulations, and policies to better protect them from violence. Before joining this, she was the Deputy Director of the intervention project of the sanctuary for families in new york. She is a graduate of Brown University in two received her law degree from the university of michigan loss goal. Without objection, each of the witnesses written statements will be entered into the record in there and tired he. I ask that each witness summarizes or her testimony in five minutes or less and to help you stay with that time limit, there are lights in front of you and you all know what they mean. So, sheriff, why do you lead off. Your the button on microphone. Thank you mr. Chairman. I was greeted this morning as i walked into the office building. These measures were in place to protect everyone inside. Most people are cleared pretty quickly and go about their business. It is the others who attempt to do us harm, those who have no respect for our laws, who we have to worry about. It is those the Capitol Police must deny entry. We had the same level of protection and safety to our legal residence. We must you all the tools in our toolbox is to truly restore enforcement of our nations Immigration Laws for the safety and security of our citizens. Public safety is my number one priority. Public safety is your number one party. Public safety is anyones government officials number one 40. Public safety brings me here today. There is arguably no bigger threat to Public Safety that illegal immigration. Mr. Chairman and distinct members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to testify on what is perhaps the most dangerous threat to National Security. The safety of all americans. Law, thoughtful immigration exists because of people like you decades ago. But its for a beach now is protecting no one and accomplishing nothing. As a sheriff and Police Officer, i spent my career and forcing law. I have a sworn duty to uphold the constitution of the United States and enforce all laws whether i disagree or agree with them. Just as you took the office to faithfully discharge the office on which you entered. The law is what you would in the courts say it is but unfortunately, through years of liberal policies tailored towards nonenforcement, congress now has to hold hearings on how to enforce laws that have been on the books for decades. Enforcement colleagues will agree Severe Damage has been done by lackadaisical enforcement and the only thing we can do now is move forward to discuss how we can fix it. The fact is, our nation would be better off and our citizens would be safer if we never stopped enforcing Immigration Law and if we turned a blind eye cities. Anctuary local county, federal, and state laws Work Together to keep the public safe, sharing resources and intelligence as much as possible. Working with the goal of keeping the public safe. Our Law Enforcement team is in opposing team that consists of local officials, elected or appointed, who have created and advocated century cities, states, communities, and even colleges. These officials pledge not to work with, cooperate with, or even communicate with federal Immigration Enforcement. As a result, these safe zones have become magnets for illegal aliens, some of which have violent criminal records. At best, century cities are direct violation of trust and twin legal residents and the elected officials who took an oath to take them at all costs. At the worst it is illegal and extremely dangerous. If the sanctuary cities are going to harbor and conceal criminal aliens from ice which is in a direct violation of the code, criminal arrest warrants should be issued for their elected officials. I would double the amount my commitment to partner with federal authorities to boost Public Safety by becoming the Second Agency to enter into 287g. There is one thing we learn from 9 11 and that is all branches of Law Enforcement have to Work Together and share resources as much as possible. Under the two ag program, the able tot agents will be perform all immigration related actions. We will be able to identify process, detain, and assistant deportation of illegal aliens. They also get access to the ice database to identify criminal illegal and a price. Instead of waiting for an agent to drive hours to our facility can checkening, we the databases come interview the suspect, and electronically communicate with ice to keep illegal aliens and dangerous criminals off the streets and out of our neighborhoods. The department of Homeland Securitys estimates more than 400,000 immigrants were identified for deportation between 2006 and 2014. About 13,000 more work assessed at our facilities in the past five years. Illegalerous criminal alien not being able to commit another crime would justify this program. It is a tremendous toll in our toe box and a nobrain are in terms of Public Safety. Tremendous tool in brain arex and a no in terms of Public Safety. In terms of laws being undermined in the United States, we have a stable representative in massachusetts who just reported this morning who learned that ice may be coming to plymouth county. , and allalertge message out on facebook telling everyone that ice will be coming. Make sure you do not answer your doors and make sure you stay out of sight. This is the most outrageous thing that i think of an example of what is going on across United States undermining my job and every other Law Enforcement officer job in the United States to keep our communities safe. That elected official is responsible for protecting the welfare of the people of their communities, needs to understand they could be protecting someone ice is looking for who may be possibly connected to terrorism, international gangs, or some other horrific criminal history they have. Thank you for your time mr. Chairman and members of the committee. Thank you. Thank you and thank you for allowing the opportunity to testify. President obamas policies left Immigration Enforcement in a state of collapse. This is bad news for the country but the good news is theres nowhere to go but up now. The Obama Administration claimed they achieved record levels of deportation but affect the total number of deportations by all enforcement agencies, which is what the dhs office has always reported, actually deportations were have to level of the Bush Administration. Interior deportations drop by 70 since 2011. Illustrated by my written statement. The Obama Administration inflated numbers by counting people arrested by the Border Patrol who i never been counted before, as former secretary of Dhs Jeh Johnson admitted in testimony before august. The Obama Administration claimed they were doing smarter enforcement but instead they operated a massive catch and inease program at the border 10 the interim. About 40 of the people caught trying to cross illegally in 2014 and 2015 were allowed to enter and were still here in 2016. This morning i was on a Conference Call with an Ice Field Office director and some inal enforcement agencies her area and the official said that they have seen an increase of 2025 in their caseload as a result of new illegal immigration at the southwest border. Not only are the illegal border cross are still here, so are about 950,000 other illegal aliens that have completed their due process and received a final order of removal but who are country. E in this the smarter and more effective enforcement in the interior included releasing more than it did he 6000 convicted criminals in three years. More than 100 of them were arrested for homicide after their release including one who killed a 21yearold in mesa, arizona, after being released. The Previous Administration claimed they were focused on felons, not families but in fact deportations of criminal aliens evenned by 60 since 2011 as they implemented the secure communities program, allowing ice to identify more criminal illegal aliens than ever before. They claimed they were simply exercising what they called prosecutorial discretion, but in fact they were giving out immigration benefits with millions of work permits to Illegal Immigrants and others otherwise not authorized to stay. They claimed the vetting of these applicants were with rigor but then release a report saying more than 500,000 foreign visitors over stayed in 2015. The vetting for work permits was no better. Hundred seven issued to gang members and other criminals. Last week it was revealed a man who had been arrested for killing his 15yearold stepdaughter in texas had been issued a work permit. He had in rest on his record for that, and assault, at ice was trying to deport him but instead he was issued a work permit under the Previous Administrations that, and ice policies. I do not dismiss the disappointment of families have been allowed to live here legally for all these years and gotten away with it, but this lack of enforcement has imposed enormous cost on american communities. Discuss include lost Job Opportunities and stagnant wages for native workers, higher tax bills to cover increased outlays for social service than benefits, from my Social Security National Security and perceived public threats. The Trump Administration has taken steps to reverse this and to good effect. They have been did catch and release policies at the border. Exempted these game that allowed so many to be exempted from deportation. They have also the exact of 287g program in well accelerate the process so as not to duplicate and clog up the courts further. They are reviving taskforces focused on smuggling, document gangs, and other transnational crimes. The infrastructure that supports infrastructure immigration. Some things can be done only by congress. No matter how many miles of berries are built, how many ice are employed, is on his employers think they can get away with employing illegal workers they will keep doing it and as long as there is someone who will hire them, people in other countries was will keep trying to come here illegally. We need to stop. We need to turn off the job magnet that attracts so many. We need to shore up the weak spots in the immigration nationality act and stop the sanctuary acts which reinforce. They have the opportunity to reoffend and create new victims. Executive reduce abuse of authority on work permits, and deferrals and other things that have been used by gosidents in the past two around laws and acted by congress. And others for the opportunity to testify on this important topic. Ive been involved from wanted to decades. When i started, the simpsonmiss only act was in the fifth year and it will turn 31 on november today is legislation about the immigration being essential to the wellbeing of the country, the Immigration Laws be affected to be effective, and that Employment Opportunity as the magnet that draws people to the United States. The implementations were never effective, the document rod actions word nothing but a dead letter. The population of aliens in the United States, legally to date, i credit this committee with returning the issue of Immigration Enforcement at the beginning of the 115th congress and am hopeful your efforts and oversight will result in immigration system that addresses the needs of our country and protects the wages and working conditions of all muchs, both citizens as changed since november 1986 but the primary change has been an expansion on the focus of enforcement on National Security. The main reason i love the ins where i had been the acting chief of the department of law division to come to this committee was because i did not believe we were doing enough to address the terrorist threat from abroad. I was in this room when the chairman and Ranking Member conyers took steps to address that threat and i am grateful to their leadership. It believed more still meets to be done. For eight years, served as an immigration judge in new york, pennsylvania. My docket consisted of lawfully admitted aliens who had committed removable offenses. On offaly apprehended alien had been i will focus on this latter group today. Much attention has been placed on the vetting of refugees. I can speak to that further but i think it is important for the members to also focus on a separate but Similar Group of aliens. Those in an indicted removable situations who have claimed incredible fear. Screenede not been before coming to the United States and for reasons i detailed are generally not screened effectively after, either. If of these have actually bypass the refugee screening process altogether, leaving refugee camps in making their way to the southern border of the United States where there are apprehended or turn themselves into u. S. Immigration authorities. With the United States has abroad for refugee admission, the system for those entering illegally is overburdened and lacks the necessary resources to effectively separate those who make was a danger to the United States from those who are in need of protection. Rumors, fueled in part by fire within the United States to enforce Immigration Laws, have also encouraged men, women, and children to trust their lives to traffickers. The coyote and snake head do not accurately describe the savage comedy based nature of those who prey on the desperate and whose stock in trade is human misery. Enforcing our Immigration Laws will quell those rumors and undercut the ability of smugglers to peddle their trade. It is been argued that some of those seeking to enter have been told there is no real cost of entering illegally. The ability to identify fraud is crucial to scorching rumors than preventing misery before begins. Tois essential if we are protect the American People who would take advantage of our humanitarian system and do harm to our communities. More resources, better directed, are needed to better address this problem. The refugee process, visa issuance to admission to court is the front door of america and it must be secure. It is equally important that threats to our country or immigration system are not able to abuse our laws by sneaking in through the back door. I think each of you and i look forward to your questions. Thank you. Center is a nonpartisan National Nonprofit that for over 20 years has provided Legal Services to immigrants survivors of human trafficking, Sexual Assault, and the mystic violence. As an advocate for victims i am excited to comment today on the importance of protecting Public Safety while enforcing our federal Immigration Laws. Of the years ive heard hundreds of women and grails tell me stories of exploitation and abuse by men who viciously capitalize on disparities in economic and social status to establish theres control over victims. Most fundable to this, immigrant women and girls, face a number of challenges to accessing help including language barriers, limited resources, and ability to work legally, lack of access to public events, and fear of deportation. Many abusers in use a womans lack of immigration status by threatening the victim could be imported away from their children. Alltofamiliar narrative from my organizations clients, many of whom have been harmed by american u. S. Citizen men. In 1994, with robust and partisan support, it passed the bias against women act in past and act to strengthen the lawenforcement agencies to prosecute victims of domestic abuse, sexual salt, and trafficking. They encourage victims to cooperate with Law Enforcement to help get violent criminals off of our streets and make all of us safer. These goals are now being significantly undermined because of misguided Immigration Enforcement policies. Secure community 287 g agreements and the like rely on a false narrative. There is no data to suggest that localities of Community Trust policy have more conductivity than others. On the other hand, there is data that it has actually achieved a reduction in crime. I heard a story by a police chief who told me that one morning there was a gentleman driving his car with his domestic partner, his girlfriend come in the car with them. I am sure she was the victim of the message violence, she was attempting to escape. In, and shotr back her in broad daylight. Then he kicked her out of the car and sped away. There were two undocumented men eyewitnesses. Day laborers standing outside of a store nearby. When police came to investigate the crime and find the man who murdered this woman, they questioned the witnesses. The witnesses said they would be asked to cooperate but ask for reassurance they would not be deported. When the police gave them that reassurance, they were able to identify the assailants and were able to apprehend and bring him to justice. More than 600 jurisdictions nationwide have an acted this to enhance Public Safety. A report concluded there are on average 35. 5 fewer crimes committed per 10,000 people in socalled sanctuary counties then a nonsanctuary counties. Policing efforts have of policings sanctuary cities. It is 70 a devastating civil effect on reporting of criminal activities. In denver, for Domestic Violence victims informed her office they no longer wish to press charges because fear of doing so would put them at risk for deportation. Reports of Sexual Assault have dropped by 25 and of domestic this. Ce by 10 since an immigrant woman was arrested outside a courthouse where she had gone to seek an order of protection from her abuser. The result . Fear of reporting spread like wildfire. Domestic violence shelters reported a large drop in the number of women coming in for services, indicating that i undocumented victims are not taking the next steps to escape abusers. One who cooperated with Law Enforcement after being brutally eaten while pregnant recently said, i needed help and at that time it was not like now. You believed the police were there to help you not deport you. Now i would believe they were just here to report you and that is what i hear and and seeing everywhere. That is what i believe. Even though i did not commit any crime. Hope your concern spreads to all victims, including emigrants. I trust you will direct your outrage toward strengthening laws and pursuing policies that will actually protect our societys most fundable individuals. 287difficult truth is that g hand other policies will not effectively combat crime. Instead, perpetrators will be on the street. Passge policymakers to not policies and seem like they will have a good impact on impact will have an opposite impact. Thank you. I see the chairman is here. Without objection, i will recognize them or 10 minutes for his Opening Statement without objection, recognized for 10 minutes. The gentleman from virginia. Mr. Hank you very much chairman for your forbearance and i want to thank all of the witnesses for their testimony today. When the Obama Administration sailed off, it left in its wake a systematically dismantled Immigration Enforcement infrastructure whose socalled priorities defined by the president , not congress, the administration are medically scaledback Immigration Enforcement and allowed millions of unlawful and criminal aliens to remain in the country free of consequence. By terminating successful programs including secure communities, the administration permitted if not incurred sanctuary cities and practices. This left us with an immigration system are broken, more dysfunctional, and far friendlier to those that frequently disregarded our nationss Immigration Laws. Especially criminal aliens. The effects of eight years of not so benign neglect on Immigration Enforcement will be felt for many years. Earlier this month, to students brutallylle, maryland, raped and attacked a fellow students. Reports indicate the perpetrators of this horrendous crime but entered this country is unaccompanied alien minors from Central America, likely john here by the Obama Administrations policy of releasing such individuals to their relatives in the United States, often illegally hear themselves. This was a double tragedy because of the impact on a young girls life and because it could by sensibleevented immigration reinforcement. School districts around the country are facing a gang get epidemic partly fueled by the Obama Administrations policies. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. Full hearty jurisdictions continue to pass legislation and implement policies aimed at stymieing immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers from enforcing the law. The same week as the tragedy in rockville, a Baltimore City Council Members reduced a resolution calling on ice to only arrest those posting a serious risk. They like and ice officers to not seize several times. That is reprehensible. Inting a horrible [indiscernible] San Francisco announced it ld no longer [indiscernible] in Law Enforcement custody in order to initiate removal proceedings. Theseareas on small irresponsible activities force ice agents to engage in the far more timeconsuming and dangerous task of picking them up on the streets. The Trump Administration is issuing a weekly report of detainerssed nationwide. During the first week of the administration, 260 detainers nationwide,ored leading to the release of aliens who were arrested for or assaults,of sex aggravated assault, arson, robbery, and many other serious offenses. The new administration, only two months old, has already started to write the ship. The president signed two executive orders aimed at borders our nations and strengthening interior enforcement of our Immigration Laws. Executive orders nudge the rudder of this massive ship in the right direction. I am encouraged the new enforcement policies include all aliens who are a threat to Public Safety and National Security and restores the secure communities program. Just yesterday, attorney general sessions announced sanctuary cities will be ineligible for Justice Department grant. Progress at the border has been dramatic. The number of illegal aliens apprehended increased by over 40 in the first month of the new administration. Second month. The while this is encouraging, many thousands still make the dangerous trek across the border in order to turn themselves in and game our asylum system. No secret that incredible fear in asylum claims have been rubberstamped with Work Authorization as they await their hearings. Some now scheduled for 2021. I applaud the president for addressing bogus and fraudulent claims in the executive order. Whatch as im impressed theyre doing within the statutory framework, and also desperately needs new statutory tools to enforce Immigration Laws. Of the past two congresses is committee has approved measures to provide tools, including providing that unaccompanied minors are safely and expeditiously returned home. That the federal government will work with local jurisdictions that want to provide existence and assistance. That sanctuary cities will lose funds and to allow for the detention of dangerous aliens. Sheriff auctions, welcome. I appreciate your testimony. What value do you see in involving local Law Enforcement in immigration Law Enforcement . Thank you congressmen. It is imperative that we participate. One of the things President Trump made very clear in one of his recent speeches was that, look, we recognize that you will have your boots on the ground. You had the intimate relationships with the Gang Activity and things going on. The intelligence we get from the prisons. These are very important aspects of us working with our federal partners. If we did not learn anything after 9 11 but the fact that we need to strengthen our relationships with our federal partners to prevent the citizens of our communities from being victimized. We just had a 19yearold woman whose father had been deported day before over the fathers day, she got out of her car. He shot and killed her right there at her home. These things are happening all over the country. We need to be able cards let me interrupt you because i have a limited amount of time and the chairman has been very generous. To bee state and local competent in the enforcement . Absolutely. We need more tolls for our toolbox. Tools for our toolbox. A report demonstrated that in a one week. There were detainees deportations not honored. What this is safer safety and these jurisdiction and other than releasing a weekly to report, what else can be done to discourage sanctuary policies . Christ that report validates concerns people have had about sanctuary policies and that the beneficiaries of sanctuary policies are the criminals that get sent back into our committees. I hope citizens will hold their leaders accountable for those policies now that they had the information. In addition to denying funding, think that in some cases there will be diehard sanctuary jurisdictions that want to give their policies anyway despite the lack of funding. They want to be martyrs over. For the sake of Public Safety, the department of justice will have to take legal action against this jurisdiction, for potentially legal injections. Maybe even to prosecute legal officials who deliberately and knowingly harbor an illegal alien from detection and deportation. Thank you. Mr. Arthur, your written testimony discusses a regulation regarding confidentiality and are medically limiting thirdparty disclosure. Does this is extent investigators looking into fraud or National Security concerns . Or can either the administration or congress due to aid ice or other Government Agencies and an attempt to verify pertinent information with a home government. It prevents any disclosure of information provided in an asylum application to anyone outside the government. There are very strict limits. One of the many things it does is it prevents the information provided in the asylum application from being verified with the home country. Probablyys to the best thing to do would be to amend the regulation to make it clear that allegations with respect to arrest can be verified with the home country, but the fact that the individual has actually apply for asylum cannot. So that would be the best way to deal with it. Thank you. You referred to localities that have Community Trust policies. Would you say that every county, maryland, where Rockville High School is located, is a sanctuary jurisdiction . Countys Community Trust policy protected that 14yearold role. Of course what happened to the 14yearold girl is a tragedy. No one would ever expect that to happen and feel horribly sorry for her and her expense. Would it have been better if those two boys had never arrived in montgomery county, maryland . Rex tillerson are two different those are two different questions. Had no criminal record whatsoever before. Had never been picked up by Law Enforcement. And therefore a Community Trust policy at nothing to do with what happened that day in that school. Im sorry, but it is a violation of the law to cross border. So werent they illegally present in the United States . They did violate the law by causing the border. Were they turned over to the law, by a parent and by a relative. I know the father of one of the boys was also present the United States. Would happen at the border is very different than what happened in rockville, maryland. Your question was, and rockville, maryland, could a defunded policy have prevented the rate and the answer is no. I think would happen there was enforcement of our laws wouldve prevented the rape, would it not . Well expired. As chair recognizes himself or five minutes. There is a whole issue of sanctuary cities, very disturbing. An attempt by those jurisdiction federal law and say federal law does not apply in a century city. This country has suffered probably the worst time in its overry when certain states 150 years ago decided they had the power to nullify federal law and there were over half a Million People cared killed during the civil war. I think the horror of that has been forgotten. [applause] secondly, i am very disturbed by saying there are certain types state and laws that local Law Enforcement do not enforce. I guess i can say that robbing the bank is a rural offense and i do not think that state and local Law Enforcement would wait with the fbi to come to respond to the bank and try to catch the people who are committing if o felony in the process of trying. O clean out the banks till having said that statement, let me ask you, under current Immigration Law, drunk driving is typically not a removable offense and neither is most Gang Activity. Would you favor a change to make that offenses removable so it is very clear that Gang Activity and being convicted of a dui would be a removable offense . Absolutely. Of course. Anyone in this country illegally is subject to deportation whether they have been driving drunk or not. But i do think they need better tools within the ina to make it easier to accelerate the removal of those individuals and to protect the commute is. I know in my district there is been at least one row major tragedy where a band of families going to church ended up being hit by a drunk driver and some, if not all of them were killed. Which was, you know, a family tragedy that could have been prevented. How about getting activity question Gang Activity . People claiming they are fleeing groups like ms13 as they arrive at the border. Do any of the witnesses know if there any people of made such a claim for a asylum that have ended up rejoining ms13 once they get across the border . From what i understand and have been told by some local Law Enforcement agencies, there have been instances that they have learned from gang members now incarcerated that of course not all of the youths crossing illegally from Central America are involved with gangs but the gangs here know that the policy is so lenient that if someone who is a minor makes it to our border they will be allowed to resettle in the country with very few questions asked. So they have deliberately taken advantage of that policy and used it in order to boost their ranks of clicks here in the United States and the group as a whole. So that is definitely happening. Running out. In your written testimony in page one, you say your center advocates for laws and policies that help immigrant survivors of violence, including sexual and Domestic Violence. You advocate for a victim such as the rockville teen westmark ride share cited. That is good to know. How do you do that . Had we do that . We have offices in a number of cities around the country. Four different cities. We are opening a fifth. We meet with victims, understand their story, know if they are eligible for any form of immigration remedy in this country. Interview them extensively to find out if they in fact have a credible claim and one that might survive under the law and if so, offer them free Legal Assistance in order to be able to enter their claims into the adjudication system. Ok. So you do not do any type of the counseling that is needed by anyone who is a victim of a Sexual Assault . You of it to someone else . Tribes we do. Our Center Offers holistic purposes so we have both social workers and lawyers on our stuff so we would definitely offer that kind of counsel to somebody us. Came to so you are proactive in seeking out and offering those types of services to the victim and the victims family. Did they have to come to you rather than you go to them . We conduct outreach to be sure individuals know we are there. Where our offices are. What kind of services we provide. To make sure folks know they can come to us. The majority of folks who seek our services have heard of us from wordofmouth as well as our outreach efforts. Thank you. The gentlewoman from california. Thank you. A couple of observations. You know, i think it is a ontake to use the tragedy where 19 saudis during the Bush Administration entered legally the United States with these us then literally attacked with aled americans port nannies and farmworkers in 2017. The two do not compute. In terms of the sanctuary city issue. There is no definition, really, of what a sanctuary city is. But, eight usc 1373 which originated this committee before it came law does not require localities to hold people whose who are otherwise to to be retain them. What does it require for states and localities to collect information . That would be beyond the authority of the federal government to commandeer state and local authorities to do that. I am wondering, the detainers that were outlined in these detainer outcome reports, in jurisdictions where the controlling federal court ruling such as the Fourth Quarter Fourth Circuit was an unconstitutional violation of the fourth amendment, what exposure with a locality have if they did with the attorney general said in a jurisdiction where the circuit has said that violation of the fourth amendment. Thank you. The federal courts have rolled detainers that hold individuals after they have been released or could be released by the civil lawystem for infractions such as Immigration Law and fractions it is a seizure that goes well beyond the 48 hours often and that constitutes a violation. That is a local jurisdiction on said theyor that would absolutely have full and complete exposure there. Just a couple other observations and then maybe a question. Police, i mean, the chiefs the Police Officers who i know in my district i represent are against criminals. I mean, that is why they are in police work. I mean, that is why they are called to do that. In santa cruz recently, there was an effort. The sheriff actually sent his officers out with ice agents because they were going to do in antiGang Activity. What he found out, at least what the Law Enforcement official said was he would never deal with ice again because instead of doing and antiGang Activity they did just general Immigration Enforcement. Now they cant get immigrants to call in and report times. They cant get people to be witnesses. I do think the distinction between federal and state obligation is in important one even though we often use i mean, for example, dui was an enforcement priority under the Obama Administration. If you had a dui, you would be deported under the Obama Administration. The question is, what is that distinction . I have had complaints out of california that ice agents are putting the word police on their jackets even know they are not police. Greatlypolice are concerned about this because it muddies up who is doing what. When we talk to the secretary of Homeland Security about this issue and explained that sheriff and los angeles and the Police Departments all over california are complaining about this, he just said he did not care. What are your thoughts on that . Do we have an opportunity, do you think, to remedy this . Would this be a problem with ice agents having police on their jackets when it comes to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault cases . I appreciate your question. Anytime we comingle local Law Enforcement with the Immigration Enforcement we are in a dangerous game. There are definitely officers wearing vests that say police and it does not make it clear that there are immigration please wandering around in the street. Weve seen it in the Obama Administration and we see it in this administration, when people are in a community in a home and afraid im not going to pick up the phone and call 911 if i am not sure who will show up at my door. When i want to make sure of is that when my child is watching call heard that when i 911 that my child and i will find safety and protection and the gentleman hurting me whether he is a has been a Family Member, could be armed, could be dangerous, could be intoxicated, could be a danger to others in the community and that person is actually going to get justice. If i am too scared to call 91one because im too scared about where im from, who i am come the color of my skin, i am not going to get fair treatment from my local police, then all of us are less safe. Mr. Chairman i yield back. He gentleman from texas, mr. Smith. Members of congress, members of the media often say immigrants are no more likely to commit crime than other individuals but that, in my view, is a misleading statement because they do not distinguish between Illegal Immigrants and legal immigrants. When you look at the crimes by Illegal Immigrants, it 35 of the individuals who are sentence for federal crimes are Illegal Immigrants. 35 . Illegal immigrants are 3. 5 of the population, that means they are 10 times more likely to be sentenced by for a federal crime than other residents. That is why we say, rightfully, that Illegal Immigrants are disproportionately dangerous to innocent americans in dangerous to our communities and neighborhoods. Sheriff, let me address my first question to you. Thank you for your strong testimony on sanctuary cities. You are familiar with, 30 or 40 or more of those released back into our communities are arrested again for another crime. The fact we have Law Enforcement officials sworn to uphold the law intentionally releasing these individuals into our communities really make me think they are in excess return the crime these Illegal Immigrants go on and additionally commit. It is just inexcusable. My question is this and you have had so many good years of expense, what should be federal government do about the sanctuary jurisdictions that intentionally release these dangerous individuals back into our communities . Thank you congressman. What i believe they should do is in those instances, we cannot say that elected officials that have taken the same of that we have candy side was lost to follow or not. They should be held to the same standards of accountability that we are. In those instances where they are intentionally harboring and concealing people they know to be in the country illegally, they should have arrest warrants issued or them. Thank you share. Mr. Arthur, welcome act. A question for you. What programs are most abused by Illegal Immigrants to try to run fully stay in the United States . It would appear that asylum is probably the number one source of fraud in the system. Part of the problem, mr. Smith, is the fact that there are no hard and fast studies on fraud in the system. Did an analysis in 2000 two which they found that nobody could really estimate how much fraud there was. Fraudevious head of the detection National Security inection or at cas testified the 113th congress and indicated that a study had been undertaken that had found that a fairly significant amount of fraud had never been completed for various reasons within cas. Mail fraud, other forms of fraud. And based on the number of credibility determinations or adverse credibility determinations and applications, it would be asylum. Asked you think it is a major reminder problem, the degree of fraud . I would do a credibility determination in every case i did. Every asylum decision that i issued, whether granted board denied. And, i would probably guess that probably in a fairly large number of cases, i made adverse determinations that were sustained. What are the three policies you feel would be most effective in keeping criminal immigrants off of our streets and out of our neighborhoods . I think the most effective policy would be first of all for ice to make better use of the accelerated forms of due process. And others also need to be empowered to use detention as the law allows and i think action need to take against the sanctuaries because they have been releasing 1000 criminal aliens a month for years now in we know they go on to offend again and it is a significant Public Safety issue. Over 30 arrested for additional crimes. I have heard even higher. From michigan. N thank you very much mr. German. I think the witnesses. Ther. Chairman and i think witnesses. Let me turn to the chief of policy and programs at the Harvard Justice center. Many of the witnesses on this panel have argued that these policies encourage lawlessness, create an environment where undocumented immigrants are allowed to commit acts of crime, violence, and terror. What is your response to such a . Laim is that thank you congressman. My response is quite simply that when we talk about socalled sanctuary cities in those communities, we have to be very 600r that more than jurisdictions have adopted these kinds of policies have adopted a very wide range. So it would be really impossible to say that they are all engaging in one type of practice or another. Some of the jurisdictions are 100 present cooperating but they also offer a protection for those who might call 911 or come into an emergency room seeking lifesaving emergency services. So the range of policies is quite dramatic. It would be difficult for us to try to make any generalizations about what could be happening on a level with crime and all of these jurisdictions and make some kind of statement it is making us all on same. I think that is an unfair characterization and one that in fact would leave more criminals on our streets if we are not more careful. In your experience, do you think that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes in areas policies . Nity chest i dont know,. I dont not anyone has registered if there is a likelihood of more crime. I think our likelihood of catching criminals in keeping our communities safe is much higher in a community that has a Community Trust policy. Local Law Enforcement officers know what theyre doing and they know when they are trying to keeping communities safe, making sure that when they walk around town, when they go to community events, when they patrol apartment buildings, when they are speaking with members of their town, that they are getting real information. That they say, who is likely to be committing an offense . Who is a criminal in your neighborhood . They need that information in order to be able to make arrests and watch for crime and the tech citizens and noncitizens in the community. If there is a barrier put up between local Law Enforcement and the community there is no way for them to do their job effectively. I do not think we can effectively measure how much crime has honestly been prevented by these Community Trust policies. It would be hard to say. Thousands of crimes for example did not happen hard to say what happened because people do not call the lease. It is easier to pick out the one or two crimes he is seen across america and shiny light on them than it is to weigh the benefit of these Community Trust policies. We can only take our officers word for it. Thank you. The next is my infamous three and one question. The questions in one. Have you walked where have you worked with Law Enforcement agencies on strategies to combat Domestic Violence . What specific challenges have these agencies shared as it relates to criminal arrest and prosecution within the immigrant community . And finally, how do you think the Trump Administration approach to withhold federal funds will impact on these local Law Enforcement efforts . And i will be happy to repeat ms. Pyati i did take notes, thank you. Our Organization Works with local Law Enforcement agencies across the country and i know many agencies like ours do, as well. We communicate with local Law Enforcement and provide training on Immigration Law and how to recognize victims in the community to read we also work with them to identify different cultural barriers that might exist between local Law Enforcement officers and members of the community, so we might break down the barriers and find ways to get Vital Information from those in the community. Some of the specific challenges we have learned involve a number of those i cited earlier as challenges the victims face. It is a twoway street, whether it be language barriers, cultural barriers. Immigrantsmented come from environments where trusting Law Enforcement is not smart. A policen you talk to officer as a rape victim, for example, you may be be victimized. To say to a woman as i have had policenestly, these officers are here to help you, takes a lot of courage. Not on my part, it takes a lot of courage for the victim to trust me and want to work with local Law Enforcement. Those are the challenges we have heard from Law Enforcement officers. We also heard about those who prey on immigrant communities. We have heard from officers, those who hold themselves out to be legal representatives or members of the government. Since the trumpet administration has come at the power, the executive orders have led to a sense of mistrust and fear in the community, that it has also led to a number of people standing outside of Army Buildings apartment buildings, for example, saying we are with immigration and we are here to ask you questions. We would like to see your papers beard all of a sudden, you have people trying to take information from lawabiding members of the community. Specific challenges Law Enforcement faces involve policing in a cooperative way in communities that historically have not felt included in Law Enforcement efforts. The trumpet administration the Trump Administration, coupled with the executive orders in january and frederick with the campaign trail together have led to a sense of fear with Community Members and confusion. Where can we go . What are our rights . Us,cates have been calling saying, if athem, victim is telling me she has been raped several times by her husband, do i tell her to call the police are not . We dont know. This is a strategy we have been so lucky to have in this country, to be able to say america understands of violence is something we need to prevent. We have lost the bet, call your Police Officer, he or she will help you. We dont have that anymore. Hashe dillmans time expired the gentlemans time has expired. Panelists recently indicated that one or two crimes, we should not focus on one or two crimes we have seen across america, yet in Maricopa County recently, more than 3600 criminally violent aliens were released back onto the streets of the states along just largest county. We know they were criminally violent because they had been in the system, charged and convicted of crimes and get were released without being deported. Appreciating the mention of the case where a Convenience Store clerk had been brutally shot and killed for failing to deliver a pack of cigarettes to a criminally violent, illegal alien who had been convicted and yet was on the streets of Maricopa County. Thats why i want grants law here in congress, it should pass, it is a nobrainer. It includes the due process laws that has been mentioned, it deports those violent immigrants within 90 days. I want to talk specifically with regard to the apprehension rates reported. If we were to look at the apprehension rates historically, we would see their work consistently over one Million People, sometimes more than 1. 5 Million People actually apprehended at the border, and that began to slow down in 2006 2007 was the first time it began to climb below one million. Aboutl experts talk apprehension, border apprehensions, and this is the southern border. Versus the multiplier, people who cross and remain in the country. Those numbers have been the was about fourit times the actual apprehension rate. 415,000 illegal aliens were apprehended at the southern border. Thanthan half were other mexican nationals coming into this country. I guess my question for you is would you please comment on the multiplying effect and whether the numbers were accurate for obama year period in the administration where we saw than three and a 30,000 in 2015, whether that was accurate in the reporting. Unfortunate, Border Patrol does not have Situational Awareness to know who was not apprehended. There was a very credible study that was done, commissioned by dhs, they found that in 2015, the estimated apprehension rate people trying to caross cross illegally was only 54 . That suggests there is at least one person succeeding for everyone caught. Low apprehension get of people trying to through at ports of entry, in car trunks or as imposters or whatever. Most concerning, there is the high rate of people who are caught by the Border Patrol you are allowed to enter anyway, either because of policies or because of the prioritization policies on the Border Patrol, they were told to let people go if they claimed to have been here before january 2014. The head of the National Border Virtual Council said at that time, he estimated the agents were letting as many as 80 of the people they encountered stay in the country. Thank you. Sheriff, thank you for being here, as well. We previously talked about membership being disqualifiers or being in the country. , aant to relate a story Police Officer who is driving in 2014, march of 2014, almost exactly two years ago, when and illegal alien who had been apprehended at least three times , once committing crimes in colorado, had a legal blood alcohol limit over three times the legal limit in arizona and had driven on a freeway the runway 433 miles when he hit officer mendozas car and killed him tragically. Has expired. N would you ask his question . Rep. Biggs you think these local agencies have a Chilling Effect on reporting crimes . I dont think so. I believe the crimes that are happening in our communities, if illegals are not going to report this crimes, it is no different than what happens in america with criminals, someone has done something wrong. I dont have understand what people have a problem with people being afraid of what theyve done something wrong. People should be afraid. I will think more than anyone else in our country, if youre done something wrong, there will be people who come forth more than others. Reality is, these people that these things are happening in every community in the United States. The gentleman from washington. I call from people in which they appear for the committee. I was here when everybody started. Ok. I know you dont want to hear from you, but i am here. Im always happy to hear from you. I was here for all of the testimony. I just got a list from the staff here at staff. They mustve made a mistake. The gentleman from illinois is recognized for five minutes and would you please reset the clock. Thank you. Want to make sure. Maybe we should start with the sensenbrenner bill. Lets go on to some other stuff. Again. One, here we go it does not change. Is a regular, she is always here. She would be out of a job if we fixed this problem. Sheriff, the kind of rotate the sheriffs, they say what you say. Judge, thank you for the efficacy for the immigrant community. We are not here to solve a problem, we are here to say that immigrants are truck drivers, murderers, rapists and gang members. It does not change. That should not surprise us since we have a president who said all mexicans are murderers, rapists and drug dealers. Complygentleman will with the rules in referring to the president. I will call him donald trump, that is ok . No, it is what you said. The gentleman will not cast aspersions on the president. We have a president of the United States that said that mexicans are murderers, rapists and drug dealers. But lets move on. It doesnt really surprise me the conversation were having. It is not looking for a solution, it is looking for a demonization of a community of people to score political points. We can resolve it. We can resolve the problem. We dont want to just like we dont want to resolve the Health Care Issue in this country. We dont want to resolve it, we want to make a political point about Health Care Issue in this country. If we wanted to resolve it, we could do it. Is people andre say, how can we expect to restore western civilization with other peoples babies . That is what we have. That is what we have members of congress saying. That is part of what goes on here. It is a demonization. It is other peoples babies. I must say the president is playing a big role in all of it. Today there are millions american citizen children who live in fear of their federal government, live in fear of their federal government because people go around calling their moms and dads murderess murderers, rapists and gang members. Shame on us for not responding. You know what those murderers and rapists do every weekend now, they go see lawyers so they can prepare for the eventuality they are deported and separated from their american citizen children. Theyre filling out guardianship papers, filling out who will get the car, how do you deal with the house, what Family Member is going to be there . Shame on us for not resolving this problem and leaving a legacy of abuse against those 5 wants to everyone talk about undocumented, i want to talk about those here illegally. Those american citizen children. That is what we do. We sit by smugly and talk about 9 11, but we have a muslim ban, and they did not even include saudi arabia. Lasttime i checked, every person who attacked this country was from saudi arabia. It is politics. They want to make us afraid of the muslims. They call mexicans one thing, muslims another thing and then they said, we will leave the gay people alone until they decided transgender children and the Transgender Community is what we will attack. That is what happens here. We could resolve this problem. I happen to know for a fact that there are over 60 members of the Republican Caucus who today would vote for a conference of Immigration Reform bill. Today. But we are not allowed to vote for that bill. You know what evidence i have . Check last week. Why . You have radicals on that side of the aisle that say we will not allow there to be a vote on an issue. They withdrew their own immigration bill. Thats why we cant deal with it. We can deal with it in the senate. We had a 68 senators come solve this 2018 the problem. What we all know, sheriff, the resources do not exist of the federal government to pick up, jail and a port 11 Million People. You know what they can do . Shame on us. Hashe time of the gentleman expired. Least 15 or 20 seconds. If you have listened to me, i asked that the clock be reset. Not during the second interjection. Ok, well. Ok what . Now you know why we have difficulty mr. Chairman . I would like to ask that mr. Gutierrez be given an additional minute. Mr. King is recognized for one minute. Reset the clock. There was a rebuttal off the statement on november 8. The American People went to the polls and said we want our streets safe. I would like to first turn to sheriff hodgson and point out in your testimony that says, the human cost and emotional impact of crimes committed by illegals is beyond measure. Could you speak to that . I know it is a thoughtful statement. In one community in massachusetts, there were three People Killed by illegals in a small community. We are seeing these situations happen all over the country. There is nothing wrong with us enforcing the laws on the books. You cannot ask Law Enforcement. If there are members of the legislature to want to change the laws of massachusetts, come here and lobby congress, but dont tell us we have to violate our oath and allow our citizens to be exposed to greater risks. Also theu pointed out Facebook Post to give a heads up to eyes agents coming into the community. Code, i up the federal want to read this into the record edit want to ask you and others what you think about prosecuting under this that individual or any individual, in this is 1324. Any person who, i will cut out the relevant language, any person who shields from detection or attempts to harbor or shield from detection or any person who encourages or induces an alien to come to and or resigned in the United States entryg that coming to or of residents will be in violation of law or who engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts or who aids and abets the commission of any of the preceding acts is guilty of violation of this statute, and if they did it for financial gain, facing a 10 year penalty, if not a financial gain, a fiveyear penalty. Sheriff, you looked at that section, i know. I have been repeating that section every chance i get. The truth is, the law is the law. It is up to five years for an illegal alien. I have called for the boston mayor and the mayor of somerville, massachusetts, saying they will violate federal law. Was, act on title eight, and we will figure out how popular sanctuary cities will be in this country. Exactly. Aughan. D to ms. V to do have this section in mind when you major statement . Yes. Do you concur with the sheriff . I do. When a judge takes any illegal alien out a side door to avoid Law Enforcement agency receives a dictator that gives probable cause to hold a criminal alien and they have information on that individuals crime, they are shielding aliens from ice. When a judge facilitates that kind of escape from their chambers, you are suggesting this as a means to enforce. Yes, there are penalties there. Especially when that individual who was shouldered goes on to cause a further harm in the community and potentially creates new victims or does in fact after their release. We know it has happened. There is a means where this congress can act on their own without a president ial signature , and what i am thinking of is the impeachment of such judge. What is your advice on that . Ms. Vaughan i dont know the law with respect for judge impeachment. Under the constitution . Ms. Vaughan i think it would be an effective deterrent. King mr. Author . Thene thing i would say is job we ask our officers to do is a difficult one. When it is subverted by individuals liberally, im not familiar with this specific case, and makes the job more difficult. Here is the crucial part of that. And the a public place officer has the opportunity to make an arrest, generally it is a controlled situation. If the officers have to go to the home of the individual, is not a controlled situation. My uncle has been a lawenforcement officer in the city of baltimore for many years and the worst thing that a lawenforcement family can hear is that their loved one is not coming home. If you put an agent in harms way, i dont understand that. King thank you. I yield back. Ms. Jayapal is recognized. I have had a challenge listening today. Ive worked on immigration issues for the last 20 years of my life, i have been on a Domestic Violence agency board, ind i appreciate ms. Pyat trying to set the record straight on what we have immigration Law Enforcement excuse me, before between federal and local Law Enforcement. Theres a specific reason why there are 600 jurisdictions across the country who have actually said the role of local Law Enforcement is to enforce Public Safety, not to get involved in federal immigration Law Enforcement. Some people dont realize this, but i think it is worth saying again for anybody watching this hearing and anyone on the panel, our federal immigration system is a civil system. It is not a criminal system. It is a civil system. When somebody violates Immigration Laws sibley for being here without documented presence, that is a civil offense, it is not a criminal offense. I would like to set the record wasight for i believe it mr. Smith, who was talking about federal sentencing rates. I want to be clear about something. Federal sentencing rates are not a reliable indicator of criminal offenses because more than half infederal prosecution, 52 2016 our immigration related offenses that include illegal entry, which is a misdemeanor or illegal reentry, which is considered a felony. That has happened over the years as we have criminalized undocumented presence in this country. Instead of passing Immigration Reform. Hanre is one thing ms. Vaug said that i agree with, some things can only be done by congress. Yes. Cover his Immigration Reform can only be done by congress. We had agreement for the conference of immigration form in 2015 where 68 senators agreed we should pass an Immigration Reform bill because they understand the hypocrisy of a country, the hypocrisy of a country that utilizes the labor of immigrants if you eat fruits or vegetables, you realize the labor of immigrants. If you stay in hotels rooms, utilize the labor of immigrants. There are numerous places across this country we use of the cannot wake up in the morning without utilizing the labor of undocumented immigrants that have been building the country. That would be a solution we should move toward. I want to talk quickly about immigration detainers and then ask a question about Domestic Violence and victims of crime. The overwhelming number of century jurisdictions are not violating the law. Let us be very clear. The vast majority of century policy, if you look at the constitution and 1373, do not prevent citizenship and immigration status information from being shared. When we worked on these century policies in my home state of washington, my prosecutor whom i will quote form from in a second and local police chief have been terrific about understanding that their mission is to promote Community Trust and they can only do that if they pass policies that ensure equal understand. They are not enforcing Immigration Law, a are trying to protect Public Safety. What ourto read to you association, the major cities chiefs association, stated. Immigration laws are very complex and the training required to understand them significantly detracts from the core mission of local police to create safe communities. Recently, our county prosecutor published an oped in the Seattle Times where he said my position as king county i continued these actions have the opposite effect for crime victims. He is talking specifically about all of the immigration executive orders this president has signed. Here is what he said. Aren victims of crime afraid to trust police and the court, the only winners are violent people because our top mission is to look safety. This crackdown is an immediate and serious concern to those of us who work to protect our residents. Ati, is local Law Enforcement qualified to act as Immigration Enforcement agents . The time has expired. You can answer her question. Ms. Pyati i dont believe they are. Nk you for answering asking the question. The immigration code is huge. Some compared to the tax code in its complexity and diversity of issues. I would not ask my doctor to fill a my taxes and i dont want the person in charge of my safety to be spending his time worrying about Immigration Law. It should be enforced by the federal government, not our local police. Rep. Jayapal thank you. I would like to introduce for the record statement from our Supreme Court justice on this issue in particular as well as an additional statement from our just that statement. Without objection. The judgment from iowa. And tok you mr. Chairman the witnesses beard since being elected in 2010, i have consistently advocated for Immigration Reform. Ive consistently advocated for achieving Immigration Reform by addressing each aspect of our system separately and in order. That makes sense to the American People. I believe that before we can address those who are here illegally or how to best modernize visa programs, we must be sure Immigration Laws are properly enforced. It must come first. This requires Congress Acting to enforce Immigration Laws with the tools and support needed to copy their mission. I want to ask a quick question, i hear this again and again. Is entry into the United States without documentation a crime or not . It is a misdemeanor. I get tired of hearing it is not a crime. It is a crime. You want to enforce that law. It is a misdemeanor to come into the United States illegally. Why have removal supply and so much of this in several years . Ms. Vaughan because of policies put in place by the Obama Administration to restrict the officerscases that ice could sue for deportation. According to one official, 99 of illegal aliens that were here. Those who would enter our country illegally or have entered illegally. Ms. Vaughan it sends a message that if you can get here, in all likelihood you will not be subject to deportation. Weve seen a difference in the last few months at the border . Ms. Vaughan there are some signs according to the statistics released that apprehensions as a measure of attempts have dramatically declined over the last two months and smuggling prices have risen, which is an indicator is harder to do. About icesfied ability to carry out its mission. I believe the Congress Needs to act to ensure we not continue to have dramatic shifts in enforcement policies. When president do one thing and another president do something else. What can congress do to ensure that future president s cannot unilaterally halt the dramatic changes in enforcement activity . Changes to the immigration and nationality act would limit the ability, have mandatory language that would limit the ability of any future president to do something other than what it is. Inadmissibility, the secretary of Homeland Security shall take into custody and shall remove any individual, for example. You could put mandatory language in 237 and 212. I am concerned about the number of visa overstays. We need a system to track individuals to make sure they leave when the visa expires. What roadblocks have you seen temps minting a functioning tracking system . Ms. Vaughan the lack of will on the part of the federal government to move forward with it. We got the entry part at airports and seaports done effectively, but there have not has not been enough interesting completing the system. Sheriff, you discussed your participation in a program. Was the training you received sufficient . Sherriff hodgson were in the process of sending our people, they will be going in a couple a months, but i built retention facility at our complex. We of been housing illegals. Do you have suggestions on how the training can be improved . Sherriff hodgson i think the training is critically important. The federal government does cover the cost and that is the biggest part for any jurisdiction, making sure the cost are covered. We have some legislators attending to prevent us from even participating, suggesting that our staff work for the state and we should not be doing if we are going to suggest wet we cannot work with ice, have people that need to be out there every day sharing the permission and making sure we put our best foot forward to get the criminals off the street. Are those task forces making your communities more safe . Sherriff hodgson more safe. The time has expired. The gentleman from rhode island. Thank you. Public safety is our most fundamental responsibility. It is because of that the community and policing policies must be protected as they are vital to Public Safety because Law Enforcement rely on trust and cooperation from all Community Members, including immigrants help prevent, solve and prosecute crimes. Local Law Enforcement agencies are in the best position to decide which policies work best for individual localities, that is why many cities have adopted policies allow immigrants to come forward and seek assistance from the police without fear. Singlehief has said, the most powerful tool of local Police Department has is the trust and confidence of the community. President trumps immigration crackdown, which is strong on local government, has created a climate of fear and uncertainty that is already begun to undermine Public Safety. Attempts to force local police to do the worst of work of ice have made immigrants are afraid to leave their homes and send their children to schools, as well as help local Law Enforcement in fighting crime. There are reports that Sexual Assault crimes the dems are afraid to report the crimes for fear of being apprehended themselves. Some at this hearing have suggested that the immigrant community is disproportionately responsible for crimes, so i would ask consent to include in the record to reports, one from the sentencing project that found foreignborn residents of the United States commit crimes less often than nativeborn citizens and another by the Cato Institute impairing incarceration rates by mandatory status the comes to the same conclusion. Without objection. Despite the suggestion that this does not distinguish between illegal and legal immigrants, the report says a few studies using other data sources to differentiate the legal status have supported the conclusion that immigrants, regardless of legal status, do not have higher crime rate than nativeborn citizens and there are three studies to support that. I want to set the record straight. I would also like consent to introduce a letter from february 28 signed by a number of Law Enforcement leaders across the country criticizing the shifting of the burden of federal Immigration Law on to local Law Enforcement agents. That will be included as well. Thank you. Hundreds of Law Enforcement agencies in the United States have adopted Community Trust laws. These communities report that such policies, far from increasing crime, actually reduce it. Studiesonference of have supported these claims statistically, showing that Community Trust jurisdictions are the mostly safer than their counterparts. Can you help us understand what communities where these trust jurisdictions are actually protecting our constituents and providing safer communities, less crime, why is that happening . I think you actually said it yourself. You said the former chief in your jurisdiction indicated, it is really the trust between the community and the police philers that allows for roe reporting by victims, that allows for cooperation of it allows for investigation into the community, knocking on doors and finding witnesses who can respond and offer what they have seen and heard. There is no way to prosecute and investigate crimes committed by anyone, as citizen or in illegal or undocumented immigrant, there is no way to prosecute crimes without participation of the residents in the community. That trust is the number one thing we are looking for. To an made some reference example of a case in which her had bid someone who was murdered who was without the presence of either there other instances you are aware of around the country where individuals have either been unwilling or unable to come forward because of the immigration status, and have you think the Trump Administration policies are making that more likely or less likely to happen and what is the impact on the safety of our communities as a result . Ms. Pyati i am aware of a number of cases around the resonate with what i was saying earlier. One of the things that happens is when a person is afraid to come forward and report crime or share information as a witness, we really, our hands are tied behind our back in terms of investigating. We dont have a lot of media reports about those individuals because they are too afraid to come forward. We dont get the splash we might get otherwise in these situations. In el paso, when there was an ice pick up of a woman while she was receiving her protection order, a message was sent loud and clear across the country, especially to survivors of violence, if you use the criminal Justice System to report the crime committed against you by an abuse or, if you pursue what our system is here to offer, protection and safety for you and your family, you could be a victim of an arrest by ice in that moment and possibly deported. That had a very significant Chilling Effect. Our National Hotlines and advocates, our coalitions across the country the work on Domestic Violence have been reporting in the last month and a half a very significant dropoff. The gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from louisiana, mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson i know it has been a long day. Were almost done. Sheriff, my question is for you. Last year, i was a state legislator in louisiana. I coauthored a bill to prevent legislators from a docking station were a policies in our state. We were gone to take away the in the to borrow money sick applied with federal law. Our democrat governor with the assistance of some Law Enforcement officials in new orleans killed our legislation. They argued that our efforts were political pandering and this was something that should be solely a federal issue. I was curious from your perspective as a long enforcement official on the ground, the top Law Enforcement official in your county, i know your state does not have such a ban, but if a statute was presented in massachusetts or other states, you think it would be helpful . A state law to ban century cities . Sherriff hodgson yes, absolutely. The bottom line is, and i commend you for filing that in louisiana, the reality is that we are basically suggesting that there are certain laws we can enforce and certain laws we cannot. One force that cannot be put in that position. I think it is important to point out our frontier has changed since 1993 in regards to how we police our community. We are seeing a lot more Gang Activity through illegal migration. These police chief, it is important for them to know, it is important to be mindful of the fact that police chief arm appointed by chiefs are appointed by mayors. Sheriffs are not. I think it is important for the community to keep that in mind managing whatto positionsely chiefs are. I would shed had your testimony in the louisiana. We made the argument that as he wasams said, establishing our republic from the monarchy in great britain, he said, we are a nation of laws and not men. We follow those laws and it is important to do that on local and regional level just as it is on a national level. Do you believe there is adequate collaboration currently between federal and local Law Enforcement agencies on addressing illegal immigration or specifically, is there anything we can do to improve the share of intelligence . Thereff hodgson i think is always more we could do. There are some things we could do on the internet and so forth that could help in addition to the acceleration of the 28070 87g program. We are the Central Intelligence base. The president recently pointed that out. I think most Law Enforcement would agree with me that is important to share information back and forth. The celebration of that program would be great. Mr. Johnson on the theme of technology, judge arthur, could you expand on why interviews are not electronic . Judge arthur a good question. Often what will happen is asylum officers will present what purports to be a statement of the alien, sometimes it is just summarization of what was said. If in court the alien is confronted by the ice attorney with a contrary statement to one contained in the application, often they will say, i did not say that. Have the asylum officer in front of me and unfortunately, ice never provide them. To have an actual electronic statement would allow me to look at that and better identify any true inconsistencies, which would aid in the decision. Mr. Johnson thank you. An, you mention how our local on force the agencies have been affected. I was wondering if you could expand on the state criminal alien Assistance Program and what changes to the Reimbursement Program might need to be made. Ms. Vaughan i think it would be a good idea and more effective to have that reimbursement funding tied to specific cooperation, and that is honoring ice the. If a jurisdiction is not honoring ice detainers, a become ineligible for funding. I think it would be a simple fix to the program that would be more directly relevant to the situation today. The time is expired. The gentlewoman from texas, ms. Jackson lee. Ms. Jackson lee let me think the chairman and Ranking Member. Let me ask a question that deals with fixing the Immigration Laws and allowing individuals to come from out of the shadows and distinguishing individuals who criminalspposed to and others. Mr. Hodgkins, would you support conference of Immigration Reform . Yes or no . I have beengson working on that for many years. Ms. Vaughan . Ee ms. Vaughan no, i think it would ms. Jackson lee thank you. Do you support copperheads of Immigration Reform . Copperheads of Immigration Reform . I would have to look at the particulars. Ms. Jackson lee would you . Ms. Pyati yes. All of us were appalled at the killing of king kate steinle and others who have suffered, but to equate that with crime of nonstatus people as republicans of tried of 2015, there was no rise in San Franciscos murder rate in the 26 years it has been century city. It is fallen to its lowest level in decades. I think that is an important point. Or nor point a yes question. Do you think in the context of status that we are trying to deport the bad hombres . Yes or no . Sherriff hodgson yes. Yes or no. Lee ms. Vaughan we shouldnt make them the top of the priority for deportation ms. Jackson lee thank you. I would see individuals who have committed Domestic Violence. Ms. Jackson lee you think the bad elements should be the top priority . I think we should definitely remove individuals who commit serial drunk driving offenses if the chairman spoke about. Ms. Jackson lee thank you. And your view that . Ms. Pyati yes. Ms. Ily i am only rushinglee im only because i want to ask another question. Ms. Pyati i think only the serious criminal violations. A trumpson lee supporters thought that trump would only the Trump Administration would only deport the bad people. Husband languishes in a deportation center. I ask for that to be put into the record. Without objection. To jackson lee i also ask be put into the record, the statement of the sheriffs agency on cooperation with Customs Enforcement to negate any suggestion that the socalled sanctuary cities label is that cities are not cooperating with ice. Without objection. Also theon lee statement from the constitutional lawyers that this is unconstitutional, the order byte sessions and president of the United States to penalize and deny them their money. I hope one of them will sue. Reserving the right to object, who are these constitutional lawyers . Ms. Jackson lee i am losing my time. I would like to find out. Like son lee i would are you going to give me my time . Answer my question. Ms. Jackson lee there is a long list. How many are there . 292, and they are from uc irvine, university of san smu,isco, denver and southern methodist. I can get those names, they are not attached to the letter. The Ranking Member says it is already in the record. Will you deny your unit management unanimous consent request . Ms. Jackson lee yes. I asked the gentlewoman from texas be giving an additional minute. Thank you. Lee i am very familiar with the center, i think you know marty in texas, we have been very close working on it. I think it is very important to reemphasize how lives can be saved when we give the opportunity for individuals who to report threats that not only can jeopardize the others, the significant the spouse, the girlfriend, but the children in the home or context. Would you explain the impact you have seen that the women you of health, the children that have been involved, and how important it is for them isthe gentlewomans time expired. You may answer. Ms. Pyati thank you. Office, you know we work handed kind with police to help them investigate trafficking in the area. Our work there has been i am nearing in attempting to attempt to bring trafficking under some kind of troll. U. S. Me under some kind of control. We had a client who spoke here in the house a few weeks ago that shared as a woman who met her husband, the u. S. Husband overseas, he brought her to the United States and they had a child together. Their son was autistic. Their son was witnessing physical and Emotional Abuse in their home and was struggling significantly. She was afraid to contact Law Enforcement because her husband continued to say to her, i am a citizen and you dont have status and if you call the police, you will be deported and our child will be with me and you will be out of luck. Very desperately and nervously, she contacted us for help and worked to build up her courage and was able to cooperate eventually was lawenforcement and her husband was removed from the home, allowing the child to flourish. His autism has significantly improved. We can see not just emotional impact immediately that certainly even cognitive and Behavioral Changes when abusers are removed from the home and women are able to care for the children in safety. Thank you chairman and thank you to the witness. Mr. Chairman . Gentlewoman from california. I would like to put in the record the record from the chief justice from the california state Supreme Court, appointed by republican, to the department of Homeland Security asking that enforcement in court in california. Without objection. The gentlewoman from washington. I asked to enter into the record the oped from our king county prosecutor, also a republican. Without objection. Uess this shows that our that we republicans are not like the rockets. Rockettes. [laughter] this concludes our hearing. There will be five additional days to submit additional materials to the record and without objection, the hearing is adjourned. Announcer the confirmation for Supreme Court nominee neil gorsuch continues this week. Being on the nomination will live 10 a. M. On cspan2. You missed it on the institute. Began pushing themes and messages seeking to influence the outcome of the election. Seeking to sideline opponents on both sides of the political spectrum with adversarial views of the kremlin. May have sunk candidates long before the field narrowed. The shortage of pilots on the military. The total force was short 1555 pilots across all mission areas. The total force was also short of fire fighter pilots. A fifth generation fighter pilot. Ime to train and cost a Congressional Forum on pleasing and minority communities. Error a lot of Police Officers that are not involved in the communities they are serving or supposed to be serving in. So i have this crazy theory that if i know you, i am a lot more likely to treat you better then if i do not. So, if i have a relationship that relationship i am not going to be so quick to up. You security challenges in the middle east. We have accountability for our accidents in this incident and it is important to clearly recognize the enemy does use human shields, has little regard for human life, and does not have to use casualty to hinder our operations. The Public Affairs Committee Policy council. Today the state of israel is a modernday david and missiles are aimed at the jewish state by terror groups like hezbollah and hamas. A majortime, israel has upgrade in technology that will help us take on the next giant. Amen. The david sling Missile Defense system which was codeveloped with russia and america. Exit cspan programs are org and onat cspan. Our homepage. Senior policys a advisor, is a intervenor for reason magazine where he wrote this piece