Press Releases

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) produced additional documents requested by the House Judiciary Committee through a subpoena issued by the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.  Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) made the following statement in response:

“This committee has a legitimate oversight role with regard to DHS’s enforcement actions, and I agree that it is entitled to obtain the information received today from the Department.  I also appreciate that the Committee has agreed to protect this information—which includes sensitive data about U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents—and keep it out of the public eye.  But I feel it is necessary to clarify what this information is and what it is not. 

“Today, DHS delivered a list of individuals who were identified in its databases but who – for some reason or another – were not subject to additional enforcement action.  This list includes U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who are not deportable.  It includes individuals who are otherwise legally present and have not committed any criminal offense.  And it includes victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other egregious crimes who are eligible for immigration relief.  This is not a list of people who are all subject to removal but were ‘intentionally released.’ 

“Despite the Administration’s record removal numbers, the Committee’s Majority has spent most of this year attacking the Administration for prioritizing the removal of immigrants with criminal convictions over those who pose no danger to the United States.  The Majority has said this prioritization is tantamount to ‘backdoor amnesty.’  Now the Majority seems to be looking for ways to attack the Administration for not doing more to prioritize resources to protect our country. 

“It is clear that the Majority’s request is nothing more than a massive and extremely expensive fishing expedition aimed at discrediting the Administration’s efforts to enforce our immigration laws.  Rather than playing politics, we should be working together to reform our broken immigration system so that it works better for our country.”

###