Key Takeaways from DHS Oversight Hearing

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified for the first time before the Committee in her capacity as head of the department. Asylum seekers will remain in Mexico.  Secretary Nielsen outlined DHS’s agreement with Mexico that asylum seekers coming from Mexico will remain in Mexico while their asylum claims are being processed. This agreement will enable true asylum seekers to seek that status in a safe and orderly manner, while discouraging people from making the dangerous trip to the southwest border based on the belief that they will automatically be released into the United States, be given work authorization, and be permitted to remain in the United States throughout the adjudication process, which now takes years. Protecting the safety of Children.  It is clear that Secretary Nielsen and DHS take the safety of children very seriously. We must close legal loopholes that exacerbate exploitation of children on the treacherous journey to the border. Closing loopholes.  Secretary Nielsen showed that DHS is committed to closing loopholes in our nation’s asylum laws. We must modernize our laws to respond to abuse of legal loopholes.  We must end “catch and release,” battle asylum fraud, and require that unaccompanied minors caught at the border be treated equally regardless of their home country. DHS works hard to protect our country and save lives.  Last year, Customs and Border Protection saved over 4,300 aliens from drowning or dehydration while they were attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. The men and women of DHS are exceptional and dedicated professionals who are on watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They work tirelessly to protect America from threats by land, sea, air, and in cyberspace.

###