Press Releases
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today commented on a reported $18 million settlement with employees who said that the company hired illegal immigrants to keep wages low. According to news reports, the settlement affects about 48,000 current and former Mohawk workers.
Smith commented on the House floor:
“American workers have just won a great and historic victory. Employees of Mohawk Industries will share the $18 million that the company agreed to pay to settle a lawsuit accusing it of hiring illegal immigrants in order to hold down wages.
Washington, D.C. - In a letter today to Attorney General Eric Holder, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) urged the Justice Department to appeal a ruling that may order the release of Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi.
As the letter states, Slahi was considered by Pentagon officials to be the “highest value detainee at the facility” and that he was the “key orchestrator of the al Qaeda cell in Europe.”
(Washington, DC) - Today on Capitol Hill, Members of Congress announced a new caucus that will focus on putting millions of Americans back to work. Currently, 15 million Americans are unemployed, while an estimated 8 million illegal immigrants are employed.
The Reclaim American Jobs Caucus is a 40 Member, bi-partisan caucus, headed by Reps. Lamar Smith, Sue Myrick, and Gary Miller. As the national unemployment rate stubbornly hovers around 10 percent, the caucus will work to highlight the link between illegal immigration and record unemployment in the United States.
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting answers from the Administration regarding the anticipated prosecutions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and four other 9-11 conspirators.
Washington, DC - Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) responded today to the outline of the latest mass amnesty proposal. The outline does not hold any surprises and lays out the same vision for amnesty that President Obama and the Democrats have promised to the illegal immigrant lobby.
Ranking Member Smith: “The bill doesn't have a prayer because the American people oppose rewarding lawbreakers, which then encourages illegal immigration.
“Allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay and take jobs away from citizens is like giving a burglar a key to the house.
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today responded to Attorney General Holder’s testimony before the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee regarding civilian trials for terrorists.
In response to questions from Republicans, Attorney General Holder claimed that Osama bin Laden will never face trial in the U.S. because he will be killed on the battlefield. Attorney General Holder also criticized Republicans for asserting that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed-and the other 9-11 conspirators-will receive the same rights as common criminals if tried in federal courts on U.S. soil.
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and House Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) today expressed concern over the Obama administration’s continued refusal to investigate voter registration fraud allegations against ACORN.
Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the following statement in response to media reports indicating that Obama Administration advisers plan to recommend that 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspirators be tried in military commissions in the U.S.
Washington, DC - Senator John Cornyn (TX) and Representative Lamar Smith (TX-21) introduced companion bills in the Senate and House today to improve the security of our nation’s visa issuing process. The Secure Visas Act of 2010, HR 4758, mandates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintain U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Visa Security Units (VSU) at the 14 consular posts that already have them and create units at the 16 other posts that ICE has designated as “highest-risk.”