Speech #1090139933

Mr. Chairman. If we do nothing. these extensions of TPS designations will expire September 9. 2007 for El Salvador. Honduras. July 5. and Nicaragua at the same time. It is interesting to note that the countries of El Salvador and Nicaragua are presently advertising on their Web sites for tourism. encouraging people to come to the countries. of course. because there is nothing wrong. there are no dislocations. and there is no reason for the continued TPS status. Many members of MS13. which we all know to be a very violent gang. have benefited from the Salvadorian TPS. Unfortunately. under current law. alien gang members who have been granted TPS status generally cannot be returned to their native countries without having first been convicted of a felony or other specific criminal offenses. It is not enough just to be affiliated with a federally identified gang. It makes absolutely no sense to allow gang members. many of whom are here illegally. to be free from deportation until they have committed another crime. Gang members who are shielded from deportation by TPS are a significant problem. The exact number of gang members protected by TPS is unknown. But in an April 13. 2005. Immigration Subcommittee hearing. the Department of Homeland Security stated that of the 5.000 gang members detained under Operation Community Shield. approximately 350 had been granted TPS. That means that. because of TPS. we now know there are 350 gang members who will be back on our streets terrorizing our communities and neighborhoods. We do not know. however. how many gang members who are protected by TPS we would find if we examined the 800.000 gang members the Department of Justice suggests are currently within our borders. instead of only the 5.000 detained under Operation Community Shield. As I say. it can be a good program. It can be a good designation. If we use it correctly. it is beneficial. It is interesting also to note that countries like Pakistan that suffered enormous damage. countries all over Southeast Asia that were swamped by the tsunami. they were not granted TPS. Nobody here was granted TPS for those conditions. It is apparent that this is a political problem that should be settled here. And so I would ask for support of my amendment.