Statement of Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services”

Chairman Goodlatte: Director Rodriguez, your appearance before this Subcommittee comes at a time when Americans are feeling anxious about the security of our nation, and in particular about the way U.S. immigration policy is being exploited by those who wish to harm this country’s citizens. Quite frankly, Americans do not believe that their interests are being put front and center when it comes to decisions about whether or not to issue an immigration benefit to a foreign national. And your agency has the responsibility to show a commitment to reversing that belief. Today I hope you can convince us that the USCIS is in fact putting American interests first.  But I am dubious, given recent events, immigration benefits data, decisions by your agency and even your own written testimony. At the beginning of your testimony you give the slightest nod to “safety and security” – one small part of a sentence in fact - and then launch into unabashed commitment to your “top priority” of implementing the President’s executive actions on immigration. As you know, I, and many Americans, believe that such executive action is an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’ plenary power over immigration law and policy.  Despite the outcry to that affect, your agency continues to approve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications with a denial rate of only 6.5 percent out of nearly 700,000 approvals. But there are many other reasons that my constituents and I do not have confidence in the USCIS.  For instance when the General Accountability Office finds, as it did in a scathing report released last week, that USCIS has very limited fraud training for asylum officers, that USCIS doesn’t regularly assess fraud risks and thus doesn’t have in place mechanisms to mitigate fraud, and that even when random reviews of asylum cases to assess whether the cases are being adjudicated correctly are conducted, fraud is not considered. The fact that the USCIS approved for a K visa, a radicalized Islamic extremist who went on to murder 14 Americans and injure many more, does not exactly instill confidence in the work that the USCIS is doing. The fact that my staff was told there were no plans to review previously approved Special Immigrant Juvenile cases in light of suspected rampant fraud brought to light by a news organization’s superior investigative work,  does not instill confidence in the work that the USCIS does. The fact that the USCIS issues policy memos determining that individuals initially classified as unaccompanied alien minors can continue to pursue UAM status despite the fact that they subsequently live with their parents, doesn’t instill confidence. The fact that despite valid concerns about the vetting of refugees raised by Members of Congress, the American people and even FBI and intelligence officials within the Administration, USCIS simply tells us not to worry – the vetting process is good enough, doesn’t instill confidence. The fact that the USCIS keeps abusing what is supposed to be its limited discretionary parole authority to create new classes of foreign nationals eligible for parole in the United States despite Congress’ unwillingness to do so, doesn’t instill confidence. The fact that there continues to be a seeming rubber stamping of credible fear claims for the record high number of individuals surging across the southwest border, doesn’t instill confidence. And the fact that sources tell us that USCIS is considering making it easier for individuals with DUI convictions to get DACA, doesn’t instill confidence. The American people are not impressed with paying lip service to security and anti-fraud measures in written testimony to Congress.  They deserve action ensuring their safety and security. I appreciate your appearing before the Subcommittee and look forward to your testimony in hopes that you can assure me despite all that I have outlined and the numerous examples I have yet to outline, that the USCIS is putting Americans’ interests first. I yield back the balance of my time.

For more on today’s hearing, click here.