Federal prosecutors have charged 85 men and women around our country in connection with ISIL since March of 2014. Suspected terrorists can still be detained within the U.S. criminal justice system using at least the following four options: One. they can be charged with a Federal or State crime and held. Two. some can be held for violating immigration laws. Three. they can be held as a material witness as part of a Federal grand jury proceeding. Or. four. they can be detained under section 412 of the PATRIOT Act. which provides that an alien may be detained for up to 6 months if their release "will threaten the national security of the United States or the safety of the community or any person." Simply put. there is no shortage of authority for U.S. law enforcement to take the necessary actions on our soil to protect the homeland. Some may ask why this legislation protects green card holders as well as citizens. Others may ask why the bill does not protect all persons apprehended in the United States from indefinite military detention. Let me make clear that I would support providing the protections in this amendment to all persons in the United States. but the question comes: is there political support to expand it to cover others besides U.S. citizens and green card holders? We went through this in 2012. I believe. before the Presiding Officer was here.
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green card immigration