On the recordJuly 11, 2019
I wish to respond to a couple of points that my colleague has tried to make. I want to stress that eligibility for this program does not mean finality. The Secretary of Homeland Security still retains final authority over whether parole in place will be granted. This is a program that is administered on a case-by-case basis and not categorically. This program has been in place for 9 years. I appreciate that my colleague has said that he agrees with the underlying policy. The underlying policy is that we want to give peace of mind to the men and women of our military who are laying their lives on the line for our country while their undocumented relatives at home may be under threat of deportation. We want to give them the peace of mind that their families could stay, with the final decision, on a case-by-case basis, being made by the Secretary of Homeland Security. Nothing is categorically mandated in my amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
