Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment to restore funding for the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in order to ensure that both the 287(g) program and the Secure Communities program are not illegally profiling individuals. The bill before us funds the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at a level that is $2.2 million below the budget request and $3 million below current year funding. Now, we're in a tight fiscal environment, we all know that, but surely we can meet the needs of our frontline personnel without jeopardizing the proper and robust and careful oversight of the activities provided by the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office. In fact, at the same time this bill is reducing funding for oversight, it's actually increasing funding for the controversial and all-too-often mismanaged 287(g) program. Three different audits by the DHS inspector general have found serious concerns about the 287(g) program, and ICE has had to terminate some 287(g) task forces, notably in Maricopa County, Arizona, after the Justice Department documented clear racial profiling and other programmatic abuses. So we need to make sure this authority is being exercised properly, and that's exactly the task of the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. So I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. It's a good amendment, and I urge colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR.…”