DHS Stonewalls Judiciary Committee

 

For Immediate Release November 18, 2011

Contact: Jessica Baker, (202) 225-3951

DHS Stonewalls Judiciary Committee

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following their inadequate response to the Judiciary Committee’s subpoena and urged the agency to immediately comply. If DHS does not comply, the Committee plans to seek enforcement of the subpoena to the fullest extent allowed by the law.

On November 4, the Immigration Subcommittee issued a subpoena to DHS for a list of illegal and criminal immigrants that have been flagged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but have not been detained or placed in removal proceedings by the agency.  Chairman Smith originally asked for the subpoenaed information from DHS in August.  Following the agency’s failure to provide the subpoenaed information, Chairman Smith issued the following statement and sent a letter to DHS. 

Chairman Smith:  “Although officials at the Department of Homeland Security promised they would provide the data requested on criminal immigrants, they have stonewalled my request and provided information that is completely useless to the Committee.  As part of our oversight responsibility, the Committee requested unique identifiers for the criminal immigrants intentionally released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement so that we can cross-check the information to see if they have gone on to commit more crimes.  This data will be used to inform Congress on the problem of criminal immigrants and their affect on public safety. 

“Instead of providing this information, all DHS gave was a list numbered 1 through 220,995.  Proving the administration can count is not what we asked for.   The Obama administration is trying to control what information the Committee sees and is wrongfully trying to keep crucial information from the American people.  The American people have a right to know what crimes hundreds of thousands of immigrants have committed after ICE intentionally chose not to detain them. 

“It seems administration officials are afraid that the information will show that illegal immigrants intentionally released by ICE have committed crimes that could have been prevented.  Why else would they hide the information? The administration’s refusal to enforce all immigration laws places our communities at risk.”

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PDF Text: Letter to the Department of Homeland Security