Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement after President Obama delayed executive action on immigration:
“I am disappointed by the lack of action on immigration reform. First and foremost, it is way past time for the Republican majority to allow a vote on comprehensive immigration reform. That is the best solution to our broken immigration system–comprehensive legislative action. But since Republicans refuse to address it, I believe the President should do what he can through executive action and am disappointed in the delay. We need to bring our undocumented population out of the shadows and offer them a path to citizenship. Failure to do so harms our economy and forces unnecessary hardships on countless families.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in opposition to the House Republican supplemental appropriation to address the humanitarian crisis at the border:
“Other than showing their absolute inability to lead the House of Representatives, Republicans also made clear that they have one priority: to deport migrant children as quickly as possible. This is clearly reflected by their attempts to strip Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and their supplemental appropriations bill, which prioritizes speedy removals above due process and the rights and safety of these children. This is entirely wrong and unacceptable, and it’s why I strongly opposed this legislation.
“At a fundamental level, we must understand the humanitarian challenge our nation is currently faced with. Thousands of young children have left their families, homes, and everything they know due to unimaginable violence and fear. Sending these children back to some of the most dangerous countries in the world will not solve the problem and clearly highlights Republicans’ misguided thinking on this issue.
“As a nation of immigrants and refugees, and one that has always valued justice and fairness, we must give these children due process, access to legal representation, and treat them in the most humane and caring way possible. And as a world leader in refugee resettlement, the United States can absolutely offer this, we just need to provide our agencies with the necessary resources to meet this challenge. I support the President’s request because it provides adequate funding to do so.”
Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement after House Republicans released their Supplemental Appropriations bill for unaccompanied minors:
“The House Republican’s proposed response to the humanitarian situation is an unacceptable path forward. Their legislation prohibits unaccompanied minors from being placed with sponsors, is woefully underfunded, and strips the 2008 law that protects minors fleeing violence abroad.
“Currently over 30,000 unaccompanied minors have been placed with a parent in the U.S. or with a sponsor, while they wait for adjudication of their case. This is the right approach. Not only does it alleviate the amount of resources that HHS needs, but it is also in the best interest of the children. Yet, this legislation would prohibit unaccompanied minors from being placed with sponsors.
“The Republican proposal’s funding is unacceptably low and focuses on the wrong priorities. For example, the bill provides more funding to send the National Guard to the border than for immigration judges and resources that help speed up immigration proceedings for unaccompanied minors. The arrival of these children is not a failure in border enforcement, but rather the result of unimaginable violence in their home countries.
“The legislation also weakens critical protections in the 2008 law and puts children in a vulnerable position without the necessary legal guidance to assist them through a complex, intimidating legal process. We are a world leader in refugee resettlement and have the necessary institutions and legal framework to provide due process for these children. This situation is evidence of why we need this law, not why we should strip it.
“We need to pass a supplemental appropriations bill that truly protects children and their rights to due process, and I will continue to urge for the advancement of legislation that does so.”
Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement after the Senate Republicans blocked the Protect Women From Corporate Interference Act:
“I am disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the Protect Women From Corporate Interference Act today, which would reverse the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. The Hobby Lobby ruling set a very dangerous precedent that allows employers to deny health benefits, in this case contraception, to employees based on a company’s beliefs. I believe that health care decisions should be left to the individual, their doctors, and their families; not their employers.
“This legislation, which was introduced by my friend Senator Patty Murray, would make it illegal for a company to deny any worker health benefits that are covered by federal law and would restore the guarantee that women have access to contraceptive coverage through their employer. In light of the Supreme Court ruling, it is critical that both the House and Senate pass this legislation. I am a cosponsor of a companion bill in the House, and will work hard with my colleagues to build support for this bill.”
There is a common misperception that the arrival of unaccompanied minors from Central America to the United States is an immigration problem and a failure of enforcement at our borders. It is not. It is a humanitarian crisis. Our government has the responsibility to reflect our country’s values by treating these children in a humane way as they seek refuge from horrific levels of violence in their home countries. For this reason, I support the supplemental appropriation request to manage this situation.
Our borders are secure as evidenced by the thousands of children that are in the government’s custody. They are being stopped by Customs and Border Patrol and that is the definition of border security. No border security measure can stop people from trying to cross the border to escape violence. This crisis can only be stemmed by addressing the root causes of their migration and helping to improve conditions in their home countries.
These children deserve due process and the full protection that our current laws afford. I oppose simply sending these kids back without consideration of these protections, including asylum. To speed up the review of each child’s case, I support an increase in immigration judges, as well as legal representation that will help children to navigate the legal process. I will fight for these priorities to be implemented as we continue to work on humane solutions to this crisis.
Today, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), and 43 House Democrats sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson urging him to review their detainer practices and to halt the use of immigration detainers in their current form.
“Through the [Secure Communities and Criminal Alien] Programs, DHS targets individuals encountered by local police – regardless of whether they are ever even convicted or charged with a crime – and funnels them into the deportation pipeline without an independent finding of probable cause for an arrest,” wrote the Members of Congress. “This dragnet approach has not only fueled racial profiling, it has also targeted thousands of individuals who would be eligible to seek lawful immigration status under the immigration reform proposals currently being contemplated by Congress.”
Localities throughout the country, including Washington State and Colorado, have already limited compliance with ICE detainers due to costs, their negative impacts on the community, and concerns about constitutionality. In numerous cases, federal courts have found that current detainer practices fail to meet constitutional standards.
“Communities across the country, along with our courts, have spoken loud and clear,” the Members wrote. “We urge the Department to undertake a full review of the detainer issuance process with the goal of reforming its practices and to discontinue the use of immigration detainers in their current form as part of the forthcoming immigration enforcement reforms
Today, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), and 43 House Democrats sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson urging him to review their detainer practices and to halt the use of immigration detainers in their current form.
“Through the [Secure Communities and Criminal Alien] Programs, DHS targets individuals encountered by local police – regardless of whether they are ever even convicted or charged with a crime – and funnels them into the deportation pipeline without an independent finding of probable cause for an arrest,” wrote the Members of Congress. “This dragnet approach has not only fueled racial profiling, it has also targeted thousands of individuals who would be eligible to seek lawful immigration status under the immigration reform proposals currently being contemplated by Congress.”
Localities throughout the country, including Washington State and Colorado, have already limited compliance with ICE detainers due to costs, their negative impacts on the community, and concerns about constitutionality. In numerous cases, federal courts have found that current detainer practices fail to meet constitutional standards.
“Communities across the country, along with our courts, have spoken loud and clear,” the Members wrote. “We urge the Department to undertake a full review of the detainer issuance process with the goal of reforming its practices and to discontinue the use of immigration detainers in their current form as part of the forthcoming immigration enforcement reforms.”
“It is time to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO). Until it is closed, it will remain a symbol of attempts to avoid the rule of law. While the detainees are treated humanely and in a manner consistent with international law, al-Qaeda continues to evoke GTMO when rallying extremists to its cause. Hunger strikes, health care problems of an aging detainee population, and excessive costs are currently the most visible problems at Guantanamo Bay. Until GTMO is closed, the United States’ moral authority in upholding its values and promoting human rights will continue to suffer. Kenneth Wainstein, a senior national security lawyer at the Department of Justice Office under President George W. Bush, recently summarized GTMO’s status well: “The situation is not sustainable. We need an exit strategy.”
GTMO was never a good idea. It is an even worse idea now. Let’s start the process to close GTMO now.
Washington D.C. – As the House considers the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2015 NDAA), House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith will offer an amendment designed to provide an effective strategy to close the detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO). The plan lays out six key steps to close the facility, including the removal of the unnecessary transfer and construction restrictions, which have provoked a veto threat from the White House.
“As the number of detainees held at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, continues to shrink, the cost to taxpayers will only continue to grow,” said Ranking Member Smith. “This growing cost, coupled with the ongoing damage to our national security and moral standing in the world, underscores the necessity to close this international eyesore.”
“The Republican unwillingness to budge on provisions related to GTMO has now placed the bill at risk. It is becoming more likely that the White House will veto the National Defense Authorization Act in direct response to the GTMO provisions. We should prevent that from happening by adopting my amendment,” continued Smith.
Operating the facility has cost more than $5 billion since 2002. Additionally, with the cost expected to increase in the coming years, we are currently spending approximately $2.7 million per detainee each year at Guantanamo Bay, compared to $78,000 per inmate to hold a convicted terrorist in the most secure federal prison in the United States, the Supermax facility in Colorado.
The plan offered by Smith would not close the facility tomorrow. Rather, it clears the way for a gradual and responsible path forward.
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam Smith, will offer an amendment (text) to the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act designed to uphold our national values by promoting due process and bolstering civil protections while enhancing public safety and security.
“As we confront threats from violent extremist groups around the world, it is vitally important that the President has every tool and resource he needs to ensure our national security. In doing so, we must also ensure that we do not undermine the civil protections that we cherish so deeply in this country,” said Ranking Member Adam Smith. “Current law provides the President with the authority to indefinitely detain individuals apprehended in the United States – including citizens of the United States – without due process and with little independent review or oversight. While the President said that he will not utilize this authority, future administrations might and it is a frightening amount of power to leave on the books.”
The amendment would eliminate indefinite military detention of individuals detained in the United States, its territories, or possessions under the Authorization of Military Force (AUMF), by providing for immediate transfer to trial and proceedings by a court established under Article III of the U.S. Constitution or by an appropriate state court. The bill would also repeal the provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 that requires mandatory military custody of certain individuals captured pursuant to the AUMF.
“My amendment would leverage some of our strongest assets in trying suspected terrorists: Article III courts and domestic law enforcement. Federal courts have a proven track record of success: Over 400 defendants charged with crimes related to international terrorism have been successfully convicted in the United States since 9/11. We should build on this success, not undermine it.”