Speech #1100160646

Speaker. today we act to restore the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program or SCAAP. to its original meaning. that which Congress originally intended it to have. Introduced by myself. H.R. 1512 will help States obtain muchneeded reimbursement for the costs of detaining deportable immigrants charged with or convicted of certain criminal offenses. SCAAP was created in 1994 to reimburse States and localities for arrest. incarceration and transportation costs incurred in detaining criminal aliens. From the programs inception until 2003. States were able to obtain reimbursement for the costs of detaining deportable illegal immigrants charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors. In 2003. however. DOJ reinterpreted the SCAAP statute to require that a criminal alien be actually convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors. Moreover. the reimbursement must be requested in the year in which the conviction takes place. and is limited to that 1 year. regardless of how long the expenses are incurred. Not surprisingly. this novel reinterpretation. which contradicted Congress clear intent. as well as DOJs consistent interpretation. from 1994 to 2003. caused every States reimbursement to fall dramatically. H.R. 1512 would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to return SCAAP to its originally intended meaning. States and localities would be reimbursed for the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens who are either "charged with or convicted" of a felony or two misdemeanors regardless of when the incarceration and conviction occur. H.R. 1512 corrects the current administrations errant reinterpretation of the law and provides States and localities burdened by the costs of jailing criminal aliens the opportunity to apply for and receive muchneeded reimbursement for the costs they bear from detaining deportable immigrants charged with crimes. The bill has broad bipartisan support and the support of many respected law enforcement groups. I would like to especially commend ZOE LoFGREN. Chair of the Immigration subcommittee and STEVE KING. the Subcommittee ranking member. for their leadership in helping bring this bill to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.