U.S. State Secretaries of State

One of the best tools that we have is the trust that we have between ourselves and the communities we serve.

I cannot thank you each enough for the work you do, in particular as local law enforcement.

As Attorney General of California, I convened a group of law enforcement leaders in our State... to produce this report, 'Gangs Beyond Borders.'

I urge Congress to act to balance citizens' right to privacy with law enforcement's need to lawfully monitor and intercept electronic communications.

Should the American public believe to have blind faith in the fact that you are now the leader?

How can you justify such massive increases in hiring and resources?

I would like to know what specifically you are doing to train those people...

So, among the seven categories... you have as number one, convicted of any criminal offense...

I represent a State of almost 39 million people, which is also a State with the largest number of immigrants, documented and undocumented, of any State in this country.

The Administration has proposed tripling the current number of ICE agents and increasing the number of Border Patrol agents by 25 percent in addition to requesting $4 billion to begin the construction of a wall.

What have you put in place to turn the morale around in this Department?

Are you aware that DHS ranks as the last among large agencies in terms of its morale?

Are you aware that local law enforcement has a concern because this has created a chilling effect among victims and witnesses to crime?

Are you willing to initiate a policy that says that if that person was a victim or a witness to a crime... that they would be exempt from a policy of picking them up at that courthouse?

Are you aware that David Lapan, your spokesperson, said yesterday to the Washington Post that immigration agents may arrest crime victims and witnesses at courthouses?

So are you unwilling, sir, to issue a written directive that it is the policy of the Department to not separate children from their mothers unless the life of the child is in danger?

Are you willing to issue a written directive to your staff that that is the policy of the Department?

With all due respect, sir, are you willing to issue a directive to your staff that that is your policy?

Are you willing then to issue a statement to your staff that that is your approach and that that is your policy?

I was heartened to hear your response to Senator Heitkamp's question about the separation of children from their parents.

So how can my colleagues and I support what California needs to do to make sure that the infrastructure around that body of water, in addition to the Oroville Dam, is supported, understanding that the ramifications are pretty extreme and…

And to emphasize the significance of it, that body of water is the largest estuary on the west coast, isn't that correct?

A very famous person once said whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.

My rough math tells me it would take--if it takes that long for each person that needs to be hired to fulfill the directive from the Executive Order, it would take 11,250 years to process an additional 15,000 officers.