Immigration Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Immigration Enforcement and Asylum Reform Bills
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, February 11 at 1:00 p.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on three legislative proposals introduced last Congress that strengthen the enforcement of immigration laws in the interior of the United States, reform asylum laws in order to eliminate fraud and abuse, and end the Obama Administration’s policies that encourage illegal immigration:
· H.R. 2278 (Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.): This legislation improves the interior enforcement of our immigration laws by ensuring the President cannot unilaterally shut down immigration enforcement. The bill strengthens national security by increasing border security, making it more difficult for foreign nationals who pose a national security risk to enter and remain in the U.S., improving visa security in high risk countries, and protecting American communities from dangerous criminal aliens.
· H.R. 5143, the Protection of Children Act (Rep. John Carter, R-Texas): This bill ensures unaccompanied alien minors who make the dangerous journey to the United States are returned home safely and quickly. It also closes a commonly exploited loophole that allows people to game the asylum system.
· H.R. 5137, the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act (Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah): This legislation ends many of the Obama Administration’s policies that encouraged the border surge, such as weak standards for asylum claims that enable the Administration’s rubberstamping of fraudulent applications.
Witnesses for Wednesday’s hearing are:
· The Honorable Sam Page, Sheriff, Rockingham County, North Carolina
· Dr. Frank Morris, Member of the Board of Directors, Progressives for Immigration Reform
· Mr. Dan Cadman, Senior Fellow, Center for Immigration Studies
· Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) issued the statements below on this week’s hearing.
Chairman Goodlatte: “Our immigration system is broken and our laws are not being enforced. The status quo is unacceptable and these issues must be addressed through legislation. We cannot repeat history by recycling the tried and failed policies of the past that only encourage more illegal immigration. We need new, innovative ideas that will strengthen the enforcement of our immigration laws in the future. This week, the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will examine several proposed solutions that will no longer allow the President to unilaterally turn immigration enforcement off and reform our asylum laws in order to crack down on fraud and abuse.”
Subcommittee Chairman Gowdy: “Our immigration laws have gone unenforced for too long. Real and verifiable border security, robust interior enforcement, and restoring respect for the rule of law are the only guarantee to finding a long-term solution and earning the confidence of the American public. The House Judiciary Committee will continue its work to address our broken immigration system in a step-by-step and deliberate manner necessary for such a multifaceted issue.”
Wednesday’s hearing will take place in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building and will be webcast live at /. Camera crews wishing to cover must be congressionally credentialed and RSVP with the House Radio-TV Gallery at (202) 225-5214.