May i have your attention. Were just about to start our hearing. Natalie where are you. She needs to make a couple of announcements before we start. [inaudible conversation] most of these people here have heard that every sunday morning in church, just before the minister gets up and bring that dynamic sermon. To limit welcome all of you here to historic Tupelo College. What we would like to do in convening this meaning, is we have some naked seats and i would ask those, Michelle Obama students, do you want to sit down, we absolutely would love to have you to take those seat. All of the people that we invited are here. So there are some vacant seats and for the other young people, i know you can last a little while for this hearing. Let me formally bring our committee and the Homeland Security to order. The committee is meeting today to receive testimony on immigration race and impacts and aftermath in mississippi communities. I am very proud to welcome my colleagues today. Not only my home state, and a second Congressional District of mississippi but i am also glad to welcome you to my Tupelo College where i got started one or two years ago. And i got involved in vote Voter Registration and civil rights doing a lot of things throughout the mississippi. Tupelo was at the Center Rights movement in mississippi and have set the stage for activism had changed direction of our country and the college of the venue, for the committee on Homeland Security to me today to examine the recent immigrant ratings and their effect on the families and children and communities. Three months ago, on august 7th, 2019, immigration and Customs Enforcement its been hundreds of agents to mississippi to arrest nearly 700 workers and seven chicken Processing Plant across the state. It was the largest statewide workplace raid in the u. S. History. The 680 Community Members arrested. Far from being hardened criminals, upholding a Public Safety hazard, those arrested for trying to provide for their families and send their children to school and build a life free from violence and crime and poverty at home. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of these raids is the way i. C. E. Failed to take into account that children would be lift that went out one or both parents as a result. Hundreds of children by some estimates, and over a thousand children, work directly affected by the raids. Children finished their first day of school only to find that there was no one to pick them up or no one waiting for them at home. Schools and social services and entire communities, had to scramble to try to find separated children. In the town of forrest, mississippi, strangers and neighbors, not crying children to a Community Jim or the owner and offered them a place to sleep. Loving and food was donated until children could be reunited with her parents and in some cases extended families. The day after the raids, i. C. E. Believed that all children were united with at least one parent. Sadly, we know this has brought the case. We know of a single mother who remained in i. C. E. Custody, with no or three minor children are being cared for mine and related neither. In some cases, it appears both parents are single parents, could be deported. What happened to the children. Families were forced to send childrens back to a country they have never seen her speak the language or grow up that went out any parents. What happens when the children are u. S. Citizens. Because of the way this operation was carried out, our communities are leaving in fear and people are afraid to leave their homes and children are terrified to go to school because they may return home to find the remaining parent gone. And local businesses are suffering. I want to take those moment to share a few words recorded by a girl whose father was arrested in the raid. In a daily rate is like a normal day at school in the next nano, i get a text message. I thought is made editors. We called my dad, and then when i realized that. [inaudible conversation] i had to take those what was going on. Limit technical difficulty. It is hard to understand. So we will just move on. But is the 15 yearold lady who was describing the impact what the raids affected her and how she feels and news is still served suffering personally. And the relatives in the home, are afraid to come out of the home for fear of being picked up. So it is a real challenge and a lot of families are facing. Clearly families are still suffering from these recent rates. None of the employers have experienced any illegal consequences yet. My u. S. Attorney, has stated to those who use illegal aliens or competitive advantage, hard to make a quick buck, we have something to see to you. If we find you have violated criminal law, we are coming for you. And yet not one employer a person from management, has been arrested and no one has been charged. In fact, prosecution of companies who hire undocumented workers, have declined compared to Previous Administration numbers. The selective wave of administration is enforcing our laws is disappointing. Today we are joined by witnesses from all walks of life who will share their perspectives about what happened on august 7th. What has or havent in the aftermath the rage, and what can be done to help those who are still suffering as a result. I hope to also hear from eyewitnesses about how we can help ensure the mistakes that i. C. E. Made during the rage, are not repeated here in mississippi or elsewhere in the country. I support immigration reform. To ensure that employers can hire the workers they need say of people who want to work to support their families will have a way to do so. In the meantime, i am committed to ensuring that the department of Homeland Security enforce the laws and keeping our values and exercise discretion where necessary to protect children and other vulnerable populations. And again i want to thank Tupelo College for hosting and i look forward to this productive hearing. Other members of the committee, are reminded that on committee rules, Opening Statements may be submitted for the record. I may introduce my colleagues who are here. To my right, and your lift is congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee, from houston texas. [applause] to my lift, is congressman l greene, from houston, texas. [applause] to his lift, and for michael south mississippi, sometimes known as memphis tennessee, my colleague, congressman from memphis, tennessee. [applause] is my welcome our first panel of witnesses, and effort business mr. Cliff johnson, his director of the roderick and macarthur, at the Justice Center and a member of the faculty of the university of Mississippi School of law. Our next witness, reverend odell medina, is the patch of Saint Anns Catholic Church in mississippi. In response to raise father dale, turn his parish in a makeshift legal and Counseling Center for affected families. Our next witness, the honorable owner harvey. He is the founder and president of the board of a legal it education and Community Empowerment foundation. Shes in david native, shes also a judge, a graduate of Tupelo College who also has an distinction of being the first African American female to graduate from the mississippi possible. [applause] our last witness is ms. Miss lorena you have tell me out of this. Ginos lewis, is the lead organizer the Mississippi Immigrant Coalition and working together in mississippi which was instrumental in providing support and aid to families affected by the mississippi i. C. E. Rage. And that went out objection, the witnesses. It, will be inserted in the record. And i now ask each witness to summarize here is her statements for five minutes beginning with missus johnson. Thank you congressman thompson. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, i first want to thank you for this opportunity to talk about the unprecedented rage that occurred on august 7, and mississippi. The practice law here for 27 years and i represented thousands of clients. Nothing ive ever done, has impacted me like the work i have been involved and on behalf of the more than 1000 people impacted by the largest workplace rage in the United States history. I have sat face to face with dozens and dozens of people who have told me often through tears, about their fears and their concerns and the dreams i had for their families. And i am struck with repeatedly by the extent to which they are rollable and confused and scared and i am lift to ask the question why. Why this and why here and why in mississippi. Not to focus my remarks on two areas today. What i want to make clear that these rates were not carried out in response to any outcry from people here in mississippi. We did not ask for this. Secondly i want to address the fact the more than 100 of the people detained in those rates, have been charged criminally. They have been indicted by the United States department of justice in this United States attorney, or felonies. In addition to the other administrative matters that they face, Immigration Court cases, the civil fines that have been imposed and they now must run the gauntlet of federal felony cost prosecution at the hands of the department of justice. First i will see, latino immigrant workers have been involved in the poultry industry mississippi for more than 20 years. We know our neighbors and friends and we know them from Public Schools and from soccer fields and from places of business and from shared places of worship. If you talk to local Law Enforcement officials, you will hear from one today. You will learn that these people are not a threat to our communities and they are certainly no threat to national security. They have become vital parts of the community and their people we know in their people about whom we care. I say it is important to note that even on the regime imposed by the pump administration, and the focus is said to be on those people who present a threat, that this group of people detained on august 7, come nowhere close to meeting the objectives or criteria identified enforcement. I do not know how the state where immigrants make less than 2 percent of the population where there is been no outcry from the community was chosen at the epicenter of enforcement action but i can tell you mississippi is not better off as a result of what is happened here. I must as a former assistant of the United States attorney, also focus on actions of the United States attorney here in prosecuting nearly 120 people. Prosecutorial discretion is at the heart of our system and prosecutors must make decisions about how to use the resources made available to them. This is essential resources made available to them. And decide who should be prosecuted and who should not. In a session important part of our system that the department of justice, discusses it at length in his justice manual. An environment remarks, you can see my analysis as to why the prop customer exercise in this case, in my opinion is terribly flawed. And this has brought service substantial federal is stressed and certainly alternative means of remedy in this context. It is important to note, that this u. S. Attorney news office recently in response to another made and involved almost 600 people criminally prosecuted only nine people. In the u. S. Attorney in the time said, this prosecution of employers in the congressman thompson highlighted, as in like with the department if this is on prosecuting employers and not employees. Prosecuting employees is hardly a deterrent to companies bent on going law. This i say of the United States attorney news office. U. S. Attorney gerst was an assistant u. S. Attorney in this case. Former secretary holtman security john kelly, speaking of present tribes executive order in 2017, are short is that being in the United States, isnt enough and in his words, it is gotta be something else. In mississippi, and these rights, there was nothing else. These people are not criminals. There is no record of violent behavior of the people being prosecuted many of them are young levers with a firstrate education or less of themselves been victimized. There only a handful that have even a misdemeanor conviction. In these prosecutions are wrongheaded and they were use of our resources and the part of the process of duplication of these types of rights and prosecutions as a misuse of resources of the department of justice and is unfair and inhumane filing on in the context of the people who are here working hard and being live about biting neighbors and friends. Thank you. Screaming thank you for your testimony and now recognize father adele for his statement for five minutes. I am medina, belongs to the order of holy trinity and i am patch. This parish is located where because first of all i would like to thank the percent of the security and. [inaudible conversation] Ranking Member hart the opportunity to give my testimony. In my testimonies about the raid on august 7th, 2019 in the community of. [inaudible conversation] this community has been deeply affected because there are in process, many Hispanic Community that was working and that you can plan with a raised play in these people i can personally see how the workers, the local state and National Economy and these are people of families. These are people of faith and they pay their taxes. Many of them have lived in the state and almost all have children and the art children of the United States. They are separated from their families either being departed or are still, into the National Center protection process. It is painful. They do not understand why the parents have been arrested. They said my parents are not criminals. They are not bad people, they were working. They put them in jail. Why did they do that. I have with me, a letter in the pitcher from the children whose father is still in a Detention Center. I have permission to share this with you today. Thirteen years old, the sudden run letter banking to release his father by gel. His father has been in the United States since he was 19 years old. Let me tell you today, how ironic it is father. [inaudible conversation] goleta said i hope you understand me. My dad is the good hardworking, that loves, and loves to go to church. And for my grandpa, he works extra often for grandpa and for food and supplies. I dont want him to leave me by myself with my mom and brothers because it wont be complete family that went out him. She was always there for me and it made me laugh. He also help me with my math homework. What i didnt understand is that he was my best friend. And always played with me so please give us a bill for my dad we are so sad that went out him because i came home and caught my dad. We were waiting for him and he said, dont be sad they please pray for me that is when i started to pray with all of my heart and feelings. So please a citizen here because i need his love and asked with me. Thank you for presenting this letter that i wrote with my heart. Weve god bless you and everything you do. This is just one simple example of the reality of many families but also represented the families calls national attention. And approves that you are here as well. So let me tell you also for my testimony, when people talk about the rates, they started calling me from all over the United States. Many from different races and religions. They told me that they know what it means to be on please let me help they told me that i know what it means to be segregated. People from chicago and california and virginia to tell me that this has brought right. We need to do something and how can we help. You can help meet with more assistance. But the best help is the interracial system. A phenomena that people arent aware that we need to do something. This new generation with the children this family will never forget. They want to help in the families. This is the National Price and i do believe that many with these decisions i pray to weve god to give me the wisdom to handle this issue in the right way. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity. On behalf of these people that cry out for help. I assure you of my prayers. Because i know of that is not easy to handle. Weve god bless you. Sue my thank you very much. Screaming we now recognize us summarize her statement for five minutes. I appreciate your presence. In the other members of congress. As a native, mississippi is the longtime resident. I have seen changes in the political and legal systems. Our eyewitness africanamericans and exercise are basic rights as americans. Shortly after my graduation i follow the lawsuit on behalf of victims and their families throughout beatings and even death, inflicted at the hands of Police Officers and other Law Enforcement personnel. Why were not successful in many of these legal actions, i always helped we serve notice the Law Enforcement official but in recent years and more recently, in recent months it seems to notice it was apparently not received and i appreciate your description of wh