LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't about fixing our
immigration system. In fact, it makes the system more dysfunctional and
puts communities in peril. This bill is about telling communities how
to police themselves and protect their people. It says: We here in D.C.
know better than you do, local police, across the United States. Now, 600 or more local governments engaged in what they call
community trust policies. These policies promote, among other things,
allowing immigrant victims and witnesses to crime to report these
offenses to local authorities without fear of immigration consequences. Years of locally informed experience have proven that this approach
best ensures these communities' safety. I think that is why we have received communications from the National
Fraternal Order of Police in opposition to this bill, from the Law
Enforcement Task Force--that is 36 sheriffs and chiefs across the
country--in opposition to this bill, from the Major County Sheriffs of
America in opposition to this bill, from the National Task Force to End
Sexual and Domestic Violence against this bill, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, and the National
Association of Counties. ICE is not prohibited from doing their job, but as the San Jose
Police Department has told me, San Jose police are not enforcing the
securities laws, they are not enforcing the Federal tax laws, and they
are not enforcing the immigration laws of the United States. They are
doing their job to protect their community against crime. Now, because they are doing that, the threat is to remove funding
from jurisdictions.
Keywords matched
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