Despite DHS pledge to prioritize the removal of serious criminal aliens. in the last year. the number of administrative arrests by criminal aliens has fallen by a third. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to release thousands of criminal aliens onto our streets. 30.558 in 2014. of which another 1.423 have already been convicted of new crimes. There are almost 180.000 convicted criminal aliens currently in removal proceedings living in our neighborhoods and almost 170.000 convicted aliens who have been ordered removed from the country also still living free and causing crimes on our streets. Under the Obama administration. the total number of convicted criminal aliens who are not being detained has jumped 28 percent since 2012 to a total of nearly 350.000. We must prevent this or any other administration from being able to turn off the switch on immigration enforcement. Representative GOWDY. chairman of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee. has offered us a way forward to ensure enforcement of our immigration laws. despite the purposeful inaction of any administration. His legislation. the Michael Davis. Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act. allows States and localities to enact and enforce immigration laws of their own. as long as they are consistent with Federal law. Jurisdictions could proactively take responsibility for protecting their communities and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system. Today. we are making an important down payment on protecting our constituents. and I appreciate the majority leaders commitment to me that we will take additional action to ensure compliance with our immigration laws in the future. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3009. the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Sanctuary Cities immigration Border Security Immigration