In Houston, Texas, our churches open the doors as an effort to make sure that people were protected.

Let me say this, Mr. Miles, because you won't get me on the record saying that identity theft is not important or serious.

Mr. Chairman, thank you so very much and let me thank all the witnesses. Let me thank Mr. Miles, Sheriff Lee--greetings from my sheriff in Houston. I work extensively with law enforcement.

The workers that--pretty much let me make sure I am making this clear. But the workers that were taken, primarily if not all--they may have criminal records unknown to me but were good hardworking people.

We think the number of children affected overall exceeds 1,500 children.

So we are trying to work with local officials to make sure that those families, in fact, receive whatever earnings that they were due, and that is a challenge.

this is a ill-conceived, cruel, inhumane, and ineffective way to govern our immigration laws.

I want to close my remarks by an apology to these families.

Again, I must emphasize to Mississippi what a major asset Chairman Thompson has been to the securing of this Nation.

The President needs to know that in the places beyond the boundaries of Washington none of his policies are working.

But we do not have to be perpetrators of injustice and we do not have to duplicate those adversaries in places where many of us know--despotic leadership like Russia.

So, Mr. Chairman, let me just say--I am not sure if this is the time that we are supposed to respond to closing or I yield back, but I would certainly like to make a few points.

It is to my dismay that I have to come home to find many of those who live in my jurisdiction, my constituency, are panicked, frightened and in fear of their lives.

I say to the Federal authorities that you are well aware and on notice that you are not able to come into a church and demand anyone that is a representative of the faith to give anyone to anyone.

But what I am saying----

Do you think the policies were cruel in terms of how mothers----

I think I acknowledged the fact that this is a Nation of laws and a Nation of immigrants as well.

I am baffled by the purpose of this raid because the number of agents could have as well found these individuals in their respective homes over a period of time.