Press Releases

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, issued the following statement today regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Marine Gen. John Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security:

“The Department of Homeland Security has a wide-array of responsibilities, from providing humanitarian relief for asylum-seekers to protecting our nation’s borders to assisting communities after natural disasters. The individual charged with leading this multi-faceted agency will face enormous challenges – including administration of the Department itself.

“While Marine General John Kelly apparently has little experience with immigration, President-elect Trump has used vitriolic rhetoric to describe immigrants, promised to deport millions, and bar Muslims from entering the country.

“Concerns have been raised that General Kelly’s appointment could contribute to a militarization of our nation’s immigration system. Immigrants are not the enemy. Rather, for generations, immigrants have flocked to our shores to build their dreams, and in turn they have grown our economy and enriched our country in numerous ways. I hope General Kelly understands this, and will take this opportunity to enforce immigration laws in a practical, humane way that makes sense for America – for our families, businesses and entrepreneurs, and our values as a nation.”