Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to extremely disturbing reports in numerous states across the country that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been targeting individuals who have a legal right under current law to be in the United States:
“Any attempt by the Trump Administration to reverse course on long-standing protections afforded under the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is completely unacceptable. To deport those acting in accordance with DACA flies in the face of American ideals, and shuts the door on members of our communities who have done no harm. Anyone facing deportation proceedings must be afforded appropriate access to counsel, and their due process rights protected.
“Under the Obama Administration, I raised serious concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and called for transparency about the agency’s actions. I strongly believe that our immigration policy can be conducted in a way that keeps families together, benefits the economy, and protects the rights of the vulnerable. The Trump Administration must keep Congress updated about the goals and objectives of these “enforcement actions,” and well as the process and procedure by which they are being carried out.
“I call upon the Department of Homeland Security, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to clarify their standards on DACA recipients. Senselessly scaring communities through a lack of transparency and strong-arm tactics is shameful.”
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith visited Compass Veterans Center on Friday, February 10th, to deliver valentines made by local students through his office’s second annual Valentines for Vets program. Congressman Smith wants to make sure that our veterans receive recognition and thanks for their service around Valentine’s Day.
On Monday, February 13th, Congressman Smith’s staff delivered additional valentines to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of Washington and Seattle Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. Students from eighteen elementary schools participated in the Valentines for Vets program this year, making over 1,000 valentines for local veterans. This outreach effort wouldn’t be possible without the support of our local students and teachers. This annual program continues to be an engaging activity to help teach young people about the role of the members of the armed services and the sacrifices they make for us.
Participating Schools:
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), made the following statement about the sacrifices and contributions made by holders of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) on behalf of the United States and its national security:
“When we talk about holders of Special Immigrant Visas, we are talking about individuals who have provided their invaluable skills, and made untold sacrifices, in order to help save American lives and advance U.S. national security. We should not turn our backs on them. The quotes below tell some of their stories and illustrate their contributions.”
Quotes about holders of Special Immigrant Visas:
“There are American men and women in uniform who are alive today because a lot of Afghans put their lives on the line—for their own country, sure—but with us.” –U.S. Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley
“Compassion for people displaced by persecution and calamity is a core American Ideal. … ensuring that [these people] receive protection is part of what makes us who we are.” –Admiral James Stavridis
“I’m a Marine Captain who served from 2007-2012 including a tour in Iraq. An interpreter accompanied by platoon every day when I ran convoys between Al Asad and Camp Korean Village, near the Syrian & Jordanian borders. These interpreters were risking their lives to help Americans in the hopes that it would improve the future of their own country. … [t]he violent invasion of ISIS into Northern & Western Iraq has put them in danger and many have already been executed.
“I was appalled last fall at the response of Americans towards refugees who were fleeing terror … terror that was in part due to America’s failures to establish security in a nation we invaded. In response to this inhumane response to refugees and interpreters, my husband and I decided to take in a refugee family in Alexandria, Virginia. We had just put our house on the market but decided to offer it to a family who was being resettled by Catholic Charities.
“Arif served with USAID in Afghanistan for several years and also tried to improve his government by implementing IT systems and logistics processes to improve government functions. The Taliban began threatening Arif’s children and said they would kill his daughter if he continued working with the Americans. He applied for an SIV and, nearly 2 years later, his family arrived to Virginia. Our church worked together to furnish the home and provide clothing and food for the family in their first months. Now, Arif is working as a salesman. He was willing to take any job and started out as a baggage handler at the airport, doing manual labor. He has a college degree and speaks multiple languages. But said he was willing to take any job because ‘in America anything is possible if you just work hard.’ His children go to the same school as my children. While they spoke no English upon arrival, they are now reading and speaking fluently just a year later. Our family and church has introduced them to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, and even the Super Bowl! They are thankful for the opportunity to live in security now and contribute to our country’s economic growth.
“These are people. We need to start treating them as such rather than as pawns in a political game. Failure to live up to our word would be a stain on our character as a nation and would be an embarrassment to our military.” —Sarah Feinberg, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“Our interpreter was like a brother to us. He risked his life, his family’s life, so we could actually work over there, and we need to get him here.” –Robert Morisseau, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“If anyone deserves to be an American, it’s our interpreter—since he sacrificed it all for a place he’s never even set foot in.” –Ramiro “Ram” Lopez, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“The bravest person I’ve ever known went by the nickname Suge Knight…. A Sudanese Muslim, Suge served as my scout platoon’s interpreter during our deployment to Iraq in 2007 and 2008, and he went on every patrol and mission with us, no matter the circumstances.” –Matt Gallagher, U.S. Army veteran
“We made a promise. We are crippling ourselves in a potential future conflict by having future local nationals refuse to help us because of our handling of the current SIV situation.” –Andy Sliva, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“Our Afghan interpreters are now facing the risk of life, liberty—their families are in danger. All because they did the right thing. … And now we’re abandoning them.” –James Miller, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“She inspires me. … I’m so excited to see what she does for our country and the world.” –Kelsey Campbell, U.S. Air Force veteran, speaking about her Iraqi interpreter who is now resettled in the U.S.
“Sam and Ford both have incredible stories of early ambition, self sacrifice, and service to two countries who have been a war for quite some time. They were childhood friends and saw an opportunity with the invasion of 03’ to do something for their country [Iraq]. They both signed up to be interpreters for U.S. forces almost immediately, one of them was only 17 years old at the time. I met the two of them in 2007 during my deployment to Rutbah, Iraq. Upon meeting them it was obvious they have been living with Marines for years as they had all of the gear and knew all the lingo—including how to insert an explicative in every possible sentence (as Marines do.)”
“I cannot imagine how different how raids would have been had we not had them with us. There is a lot of uncertainty in dynamic situations but they provided the clarity we desperately needed. They had a sense of the area and always knew long before us if something wasn’t right or when to be suspicious of others. They were not always allowed to be armed but took it in stride. They had to sleep and eat in the filthiest conditions but never complained. They were paid even less than us and still, we never heard a word of it.
“I stayed in touch with both Sam and Ford and was fortunate enough to meet with them in Chicago years after I got out of the military. One is now a U.S. citizen and the other a green card holder, both were going to school. It goes without saying that these men saved American lives, they left their families for years to work with us, and deserve to have a chance at the American dream. For they are everything that make us great.” —Doug Jackson, Marine Corps veteran
“When I was in the army, when I put on the uniform, they treated me as a brother.” –Former Iraqi interpreter for the U.S. Army Othman Al Janabi
“We made a promise and we have to keep it. We are weaker if we don’t keep our promise to our allies.” –Joe Jenkins, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
“I would like to see the interpreters who were beside me on every patrol I went on, get what they were promised.” –Colt Smith, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), made the following statement about Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s recorded views on U.S. defense policy and Islam:
“I am deeply disturbed by Steve Bannon’s long record of commentary on Islam and national security. In public interviews, Bannon has persistently argued that the United States and Western civilization are faced with a ‘global existential war’ against not just violent Islamist radicals such as Daesh, Al Qaeda, or Al Shabaab, but the religion of Islam itself, which he calls ‘the most radical religion.’ As part of this civilizational conflict, we will have ‘a major shooting war in the Middle East.’”
“That thinking is extremely dangerous. We are not at war with Islam. Both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama made this clear. An approach of this type would make it incredibly difficult for us to defeat the violent Islamic radicals who want to kill Americans, because we simply cannot win without allies and partners in places like Iraq and the Horn of Africa.
“As General David Petraeus told the Armed Services Committee yesterday, ‘Our most important ally in this war is the overwhelming majority of Muslims who reject Al Qaeda, Daesh, and their fanatical barbaric worldview. … We must also remember that Islamic extremists want to portray this as a clash of civilizations with America at war against Islam. We must not let them do that. We must be very sensitive to actions that might give them ammunition in this effort.’
“It is inaccurate and immoral to condemn all Muslims as radicals and enemies of Western civilization. Other religions, including Christianity, have had checkered histories with examples of violent extremism. Great faiths have sometimes been twisted and put to evil ends. If we make it the policy of the United States to stoke a civilizational conflict against Islam itself, we will only feed our enemies’ narrative, generating far more enemies and jeopardizing our ability to effectively fight terrorism and protect the United States.”
“President Trump continues to sign vague and ill-conceived executive orders that have clearly not been properly considered in a rush to fulfill campaign promises. The executive order related to regulation signed this week is just another gimmick under the guise of reducing regulations. It arbitrarily requires that for every regulation passed, two have to be eliminated. This would wreak havoc on our regulatory system and hurt American businesses that are faced with an unpredictable and unsound regulatory environment. The very first indication that this order was alarmingly unclear and confusing is that the White House itself had to quickly issue a subsequent clarification to explain that independent agencies were exempt from it.
“I support a regulatory environment that focuses on the long term needs of our country, protects the American people from harmful environmental impacts, financial fraud, and unethical labor practices, while allowing us to transform our economy and create the jobs needed to compete globally in the future. A well-functioning agency rulemaking process is critical to that goal. President Trump’s regulatory executive order does not move us closer to that goal, it does just the opposite.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about the Trump administration’s presidential memorandum on organization of the National Security Council (NSC) and the Homeland Security Council (HSC):
“This arrangement could hardly be more ominous for the U.S. national security decision-making process and the security of our friends and allies. The moves laid out in the National Security Presidential Memorandum take an unprecedented step to politicize the NSC. By placing a political operative at the table for all meetings, it concentrates power in the hands of Steve Bannon, an ultra-right-wing political strategist who wants to takenational security policy in a direction that will undermine global security, strengthen our enemies, and shred American values. This goes beyond the long-standing practice of including the President’s Chief of Staff. At the same time, the memorandum downgrades the role that objective intelligence and military advice will play in the president’s decision-making process. We should not be going down this road. Congress will have no choice but to question the integrity of the NSC’s recommendations going forward.”
Washington D.C. –Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to the extensive damage President Trump’s most recent Executive Order banning refugees is already causing:
“President Trump’s Friday afternoon executive order banning refugees is already wreaking havoc on countless individuals here in the United States and creating lasting repercussions for our country’s international stature. Aside from the fact that the United States already has a very extensive vetting process for refugees, the White House’s failure to issue guidance for the Department of Homeland Security, airport employees and airlines across the world is causing chaos, fear, and potentially irreparable harm to our international alliances. Legal scholars are already raising serious legal questions about whether the President’s ban is even constitutional.
“In directing the Department of Homeland Security to indefinitely deny Syrian refugees from entering the United States, as well as callously barring all refugees from the rest of the world for a minimum of 120 days, the President has chosen to act in direct contrast to our nation’s proud history of helping those in need. The fact remains that there have been no fatal terror attacks in the United States by immigrants from the seven nations identified in the President’s executive order.
“Mr. Trump’s disturbing lack of knowledge of the current vetting processes and his complete disregard for American values is both disturbing and dangerous. If we are to succeed in the fight against Islamic extremists, we must make it clear that our fight is not against the Muslim religion. We need our Muslim allies now, perhaps more than ever. The President’s executive action will only lead to a clash of civilizations and write a chapter of history America will be ashamed of.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Trump’s irresponsible executive order regarding refugees and visas:
“President Trump’s reckless executive order on refugees and visa restrictions is contrary to America’s founding principles and threatens our nation’s security. The President has chosen to act in direct contrast to our nation’s proud history of helping those in need. President Trump’s actions will only create divisions within America, stoke fear and hate, and help recruit more terrorists and extremists to attack America, as well as our partners and friends.
“Refugees–many of them women and children–already undergo an extremely comprehensive and thorough U.S. Government vetting process before being admitted, including scrutiny by the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, intelligence agencies, and others. Applicants for this status are held to the highest level of security screening through which we evaluate travelers or immigrants to the United States, and the process typically takes between 18-24 months. If U.S. security agencies cannot verify details of a potential refugee’s story, that individual is not allowed to enter the United States.
“The fact that refugees want to make the United States their new home should be a source of pride for us. Even as President Trump threatens our principles in the short term, American values will prevail in the end.”
Washington D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of immigration focused executive actions today:
“The immigration system in the United States is broken and needs to be reformed. Building unnecessary walls, attacking local law enforcement by threatening grant funding, demanding costly mass deportation, and damaging relationships with international partners is misguided and reprehensible. Instead, we must have a clear, humane and legal way for those who seek to come to our country to flee violence and instability, or seek new opportunities, to build a better life in the United States.
“I agree that a secure border is important for our national security. Contrary to the inflammatory rhetoric that President Trump chose to espouse during his campaign, our southern border is more secure today than it has been in decades. From 2006 to 2016, the United States drastically increased our border security budget, which has contributed to the fact that we have had zero net immigration from Mexico for the last three years. The United States has taken responsibility for our border security, and any claims that Mexico should or will pay for a wall is not only foolish but illustrates the President’s disturbing ignorance when it comes to foreign affairs.
“I am dedicated to fixing our immigration system. A comprehensive solution must include immediate changes to our inhumane and costly private immigration detention facilities that lack proper safety oversight. Allowing immigrants to become productive members of our society will only strengthen our communities, our economy, and our country’s future. I applaud our region’s local mayors and Governor Inslee for stating clearly that Washington state will remain a safe haven for those in search of safety. Our local leaders understand that maintaining safe communities and protecting the rights of recent immigrants are do not conflict with one another.
“In Congress, I have strongly advocated for deportation relief, reforms to our immigration detention policies, and for comprehensive immigration reform that provides justice and equity for all people, regardless of where they were born. I join my colleagues in saying unequivocally that Washington state should stand by our values and fight to keep families together.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. Also known as the Mexico City Policy, this rule was first introduced in 1984 at the U.N. International Conference on Population held in Mexico City, and is a global barrier to comprehensive women’s health care.
“In reinstating the Global Gag Rule as one of his first executive orders, President Donald Trump has undone years of progress. International family planning programs are very important for fostering manageable and healthy families around the world. By supporting international family planning efforts, we can help families around the world avoid extreme poverty, lack of access to health care, educational, and economic opportunities. Even without this step backwards, U.S. funds are already prohibited from being used to perform or promote abortion services abroad by the Helms Amendment to the 1973 U.S. Foreign Assistance Act.
“I am deeply disappointed that only a day after the 44th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that upheld a woman’s right to choose, President Trump has shown a flagrant disregard for women’s health across the world by limiting free speech and access to family planning services.”