Mr. Chairman, we are dealing with a moral question as much as a legal
one. ICE has the discretion to enforce our immigration laws fairly and
justly, and Congress has the discretion to prioritize how we spend
taxpayer dollars. Instead of overly aggressive immigration enforcement, we should be
investing more in real security vulnerabilities. These include
cybersecurity, human trafficking investigations, Coast Guard vessels
and aircraft, flood mapping, and pre-disaster mitigation. We should invest in more Customs officers. We should restore funding
for research and laboratory facilities at the Science and Technology
Directorate and for TSA's Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement
Program. Unfortunately, we are not doing any of this. However, before concluding, I want to take a moment to talk about the
Trump administration's announcement yesterday on ending the DACA
program. An amendment I offered in committee to clarify the basic authority of
DHS to continue the program failed on a party-line vote. It would have
given Congress time to enact a more formal authorization and given
DREAMers the peace of mind of knowing they would not have to go back
into the shadows. With the administration's announcement yesterday,
that peace of mind has been cruelly snatched away. We shouldn't wait 6 months to fix this problem. The majority should
bring my bipartisan, bicameral bill, the DREAM Act, to the floor as
soon as possible so that DREAMers can continue to contribute to this
country free of the fear of being deported from the only home they
know. In closing, Mr. Chairman, I want to extend my appreciation for the
efforts of the subcommittee chairman, Chairman Carter, and his staff,
who worked with the minority throughout the development of this bill.
Keywords matched
immigration deported DACA