Speech #1090139572

Despite these concerns. I thank Chairman ROGERS and Congressman SABO for including many of the items I requested in the Homeland Security report. The following report language addresses serious issues raised during subcommittee hearings with representatives of the Department of Homeland Security. (1) The report language addresses the need to continue the use of Legal Orientation Programs in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE. detention centers around the country. Legal Orientation Programs are legal presentations given to persons in immigration detention. prior to a first hearing before an immigration judge by nongovernmental agencies. The presentations facilitate access to justice for detained immigrants in removal proceedings. The program also saves money on immigration detention and makes the Immigration Court more efficient. (2) The report recognizes the success of the Intensive Supervised Appearance Program. ISAP. which prevents families from being detained in jail. The bill includes an additional $5 million for the expansion of this program. (3) The report expresses concem regarding reports that children apprehended by DHS continue to be separated from their parents. The committees report language encourages ICE to work with reputable nonprofit organizations to consider allowing family units to be placed in the Intensive Supervised Appearance Program. If detention is necessary. the report language encourages ICE to house family members together in nonpenal. homelike environments until the conclusion of their immigration proceedings. (4) The report includes language that expresses concerns regarding recent media repors of health care deficiencies at ICE detention facilities. The committees report language correctly directs ICE to report on the activities it undertakes to ensure compliance with detention standards. (5) The report highlights concerns with the backlog at the National Records Center. This backlog results in few. it any. of the asylum applicants who requested their files through the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA. receiving their files in time to prepare for their appearance in immigration court. The report language directs Citizenship and Immigration Services to develop a plan to ensure that such requests are filled in a timely and expeditious manner. (6) The report expresses concern that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services has not issued regulations on the Uvisa for immigrant victims of a crime. This visa was established 6 years ago in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Due to the lack of regulations. few victims have applied because only interim relief exists. The report directs CIS to report on its plan for issuing Uvisa regulations. (7) I was pleased that the report recognizes the important efforts of the Directorate of Science and Technology. S&T. to encourage universities to become centers of multidisciplinary research on homeland security issues. An outstanding example of such a center is the University of Southern Californias Center for Risk and Economic Analysis in Los Angeles. Given the high threat of acts of terrorism to large cities like Los Angeles. these centers can help prioritize countermeasures to terrorism. by computing relative risks among potential terrorist events and by identifying where homeland security investments can be most effective. (8) I am also pleased that Customs and Border Protection is directed to report on their plans to address the increased workload at Ontario International Airport and to provide quarterly reports to the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Homeland Security on international flight arrivals at Ontario that take customs longer than the standard 60 minutes to process. (9) The report includes language that expresses concern about reports that unaccompanied alien children are being detained in unacceptable conditions. such as jaillike facilities. and not routinely transferred within the required 35 day timeframe from DHS custody to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. ORR. The report directs ICE to immediately contact ORR upon apprehension of children and to ensure ORR gains custody within 72 hours. (10) When the age of an unaccompanied alien child is unknown. the report directs ICE to consider using holistic agedetermination methodologies recommended by medical and child welfare experts. These methodologies recommend taking into account the childs physical appearance and psychological maturity. rather than relying exclusively on forensic evidence. (11) The report expresses concern about the dearth of repatriation services for unaccompanied alien children. These children are removed from the United States to face uncertain fates in their homelands. The report urges the Department. in close consultation with the Department of State and ORR. to develop policies and procedures to ensure the safe repatriation of these children lo their country of origin including placement with family or a sponsoring agency. (12) I am very grateful that Chairman ROGERS once again included language I drafted to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from moving forward with its potentially dangerous plan to privatize key immigration officer positions at the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Officers currently filling these positions are responsible for handling classified information used to prevent fraud and exploitation of our immigration laws. I am thankful that this inherently governmental work will continue to remain the responsibility of trained and experienced Federal employees directly accountable to the Department and not to the bottom line of a private company. (13) I am pleased that the report recognizes the important work of Operation Archangel. located in my home city of Los Angeles. Operation Archangel is a national model for protecting critical infrastructure.