Dec 3, 2015
SENATOR TED CRUZ QUESTIONS ICE DIR SARAH SALDAÑA ON OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION'S RELEASE OF DANGEROUS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL
ALIENS
The Obama Administration releasing dangerous, criminal illegal
aliens, heinous felons on the streets of America
-
- Senator Ted Cruz Questioning ICE
0:00
thank you senator sessions missile
tonya welcome the last hearing we had that you
0:06
testified we discussed in 2013 how
the Obama administration had released over a
0:15
hundred and four thousand criminal
illegal aliens at that hearing you
0:22
misstated that number by a factor of
over two and indeed in 2013 we discussed
0:31
town the Obama administration
released one hundred and ninety-three illegal
0:37
aliens with homicide convictions 426
sexual assault convictions three hundred
0:44
and three kidnapping convictions
1075 aggravated assault convictions 1160
0:53
stolen vehicle convictions 9187
dangerous drug convictions 16,000 and
1:01
seventy drunk or drugged driving
convictions and three hundred and three
1:07
flight escape convictions at that
hearing I asked you how many murderers
1:19
and rapists here illegally was the
Obama administration releasing and you did not
1:24
know for the day before
1:28
yes yes I did not know that specific
number for the day before so let me ask
1:34
you and in the several months since
that last hearing how many murders here
1:41
illegally has the administration
released well you missed the part so
1:46
earlier when i discussed the fact
when you say the Obama administration
1:49
released and I pretty much talking
about ice and and the agency that enforces
1:54
immigration laws you miss this lead
my testimony earlier when i discussed that
2:00
two-thirds of these releases for
2015 were not within the control of ice the
2:09
we don't play in this sandbox alone
the immigration courts a big part of that
2:14
there was a specific question how
many murders as the administration released
2:22
in the last year let me give it to
you by fiscal year fifteen I believe
2:25
there're homicide related that's not
just murder that's negligent homicide
2:31
there are about a hundred and
ninety-seven I believe hundred
2:33
ninety-seven in the last year about
sexual assaults sexual assaults and we
2:38
have a chart broken down by crime
sir I don't have that charged with me but we
2:43
can certainly provided to you and
does that include drunk driving you know how
2:47
well since the hearing last july the
administration has released information
2:56
that indicates it's even worse than
what we discussed in July in particular
3:01
senator sessions and I along with
several other senators on this committee
3:04
sent a letter to Secretary Johnson
asking about Isis so-called priority
3:10
enforcement program and in response
to that letter you on behalf of the
3:15
secretary sent us a letter on
October 26 2015 a letter that without objection at
3:23
like to introduce into the record in
that letter the administration made a
3:31
number of rather stunning admissions
that letter indicated at that at the end
3:38
of fiscal year 2015 there are nine
hundred and eighteen thousand three
3:44
hundred and sixty-nine non detained
illegal aliens who are present in the
3:51
United States are on their own
recognizance had been ordered to leave
3:56
the country by a final order of
removal but haven't done so that means they're
4:02
essentially almost one million known
in legal aliens who been ordered to leave
4:07
that haven't done so in our living
freely here why is ice not deporting
4:14
those 1 million illegal aliens
4:17
senator that part of my answer
before when I talked about this issue we have a
4:25
number of obstacles in our way to
remove people we cannot remove people without a
4:31
final order of removal all of those
have final order of removal may i finish I'm
4:38
just pointing out that the first
obstacle you listed is not relevant to
4:41
the nine hundred and eighteen
thousand three hundred and sixty-nine that have
4:44
fun or final order of removal may i
finish please do
4:49
final order of removal and
appropriate travel documents I don't like I just do
4:54
not believe sir you're from the
great state of Texas where we understand the
5:00
real world and I can't believe you
would think that either I myself who spent 10
5:06
years even before I came here as a
united states attorney and assistant
5:09
united states attorney in Texas
running down every criminal I could and putting
5:15
them in prison for as long as I
could
5:17
based on the justification of the
crime that you would think that the women and
5:21
men of ice or myself would turn
their backs on the deportation of criminal
5:27
alien who needed to be removed
5:30
we are removing every one week under
the law
5:33
this law provides for a lot of due
process and a lot of avenues for
5:38
requesting relief everything
position we make can be looked at by an immigration
5:42
judge and reversed or enhanced or or
decreased it is not just the there are
5:49
some with respect what you are
saying they're consists of non sequiturs your
5:57
first response was needed a final
order of deportation which we had over 900,000
6:04
who've already received that and I
will tell you
6:07
I speak over and over again to ICE
agents to Border Patrol officers who are
6:17
demoralized who are dispirited by
the political leadership of the Obama
6:23
administration that doesn't let them
do their jobs over and over again in the
6:28
state of Texas I speak to brave men
and women that are risking their lives to
6:34
keep keep us safe let's look further
you said we should not in poun the
6:41
willingness to enforce the law
they're roughly one million illegal aliens the
6:45
orders of deportation that you have
not deported but that's not just that beyond
6:59
the thirty-six thousand and seven
criminal illegal aliens that ice freed
7:06
from custody in fiscal year 2013
1,000 of them have gone on to commit new
7:13
crimes today's our criminal illegal
aliens released from custody had
7:18
committed new crimes up those 1000
how many of those have been deported I don't
7:23
have that number readily at hand I
can run that down for use during get it to
7:27
between fiscal year 2009 and fiscal
year 2015 the Obama administration released
7:34
6151 criminal aliens who were
specifically convicted of a sexual
7:43
offense why is ice releasing any
illegal aliens convicted of a sexual offense so
7:56
you missed that part of my testimony
earlier before your arrival here I
8:00
explained clearly that about
two-thirds of the folks who have been released
8:05
you keep referring to the Obama
administration releasing them that is
8:10
really a mischaracterization and is
misleading to the public about
8:15
two-thirds of those who are either
under the United States Supreme Court decision
8:22
which we cannot we follow the law
and and the Supreme Court you said you you
8:30
help me understand then why
president Obama has issued Executive amnesty
8:36
refusing to follow the law which
which one is it says the administration follow
8:42
the law if the president disagrees
with the law does he say he will ignore it
8:45
you and I have a disagreement with
respect to its constitutionality you you
8:50
know the Department of Justice's
issued a Dominion with respect to let and I'll
8:56
tell you this sir I you also missed
my testimony that there is
9:10
there is a complex at tier that does
not leave us a whole lot of room for I mean
9:20
every probably every illegal alien
could be removed but that's twelve million
9:25
people or fifteen million depending
on what has them at you look at I don't
9:30
think anybody who thinks that we can
go about rounding up people with a 6.5
9:35
billion dollar budget as generous as
that is in as grateful as I am for it
9:39
believes that we can go and do that
under that budget there is there are
9:45
reasons to make wise and smart and
effective immigration priorities which
9:51
the Secretary announced last
November 20th we're going about it in a smart way
9:55
we are not sacrificing children when
we can remove a criminal alien any criminal
10:03
alien that has not been removed I
feel fairly confident there is a very good
10:07
explanation that comes into this
very statute that the Senate and the and the
10:11
and the house has left us with I
have called for and will continue until I
10:15
leave the day I leave this office to
ask beg you all to consider comprehensive
10:22
immigration reform but I recognize
that politically the administration supports
10:30
amnesty for people who are here
illegally the American people don't
10:34
agree with the administration on
that you are charged with following the law
10:39
the law the congress's actually
passed not the policy views of President Obama
10:43
that contradicts the law now you
mentioned a minute ago that ice could
10:49
deport the 12 million people here
illegally why is it not doing so why is
10:54
it not enforcing that I haven't run
the number sir but I believe the
10:57
Congressional Budget Office has and
we're talking about billions and
11:01
billions of dollars to do that that
matters and that is quite frankly not
11:11
very smart ok it's not smart to
enforce federal law that requires those here
11:17
illegally to be deported miss a day
let me ask you when bill clinton playing
11:22
senator cruising I'm trying to help
the american public and the american public
11:28
by ignoring the question miss you
said it's not very smart and it's impractical
11:34
to enforce the law how many alien
that's not what I said how many aliens did the
11:43
Bill Clinton administration support
I don't know certain work with the
11:48
administration will let me answer
the question for you and in a year's the
11:52
Bill Clinton administration deported
12 million two hundred ninety thousand nine
11:56
hundred and five now is that the
position of the Obama administration
12:00
that the Bill Clinton administration
was not very smart because it deported 12
12:05
million people is it is the position
of the are you serious about this question
12:11
you just said it's not very smart to
use Isis resources to follow federal law and
12:18
deport criminal aliens who are here
illegally or misrepresenting what you
12:22
said was not very smart what I said
was we cannot just as a United States
12:27
Attorney I could not enforced 3,000
laws including migratory power act with 100
12:35
attorneys covering 100,000 square
miles you know North Texas and my
12:39
jurisdictions 100 counties I had to
make tough decisions did I want every person
12:45
who had broken the law
12:46
one of those three thousand federal
laws to be punished accordingly
12:50
yes I did but I just ministration
could enforce the laws and deport over 12
12:58
million people with a smaller budget
than your budget
13:01
why is the Obama administration
unable or unwilling to enforce the law do the
13:07
same be it I beg to differ with you
sir but this administration is enforcing the
13:13
law and it's unfortunate very smart
way with respect to the resources that we
13:18
have and miscellaneous this
administration is enforcing the law
13:23
watched President Obama
13:27
dedicates time these parents should
President Obama say to Kate stylist
13:34
father who held his daughter in his
arms and heard her last words helped me daddy
13:41
I don't know what the Obama
administration would do but I met with
13:47
Jim and Brad Steinle
13:48
I met with him and was extraordinary
impressed by them they expressed their
13:53
views and feelings to me I listened
I admired their stamina and their ability
14:00
true in their moments of mourning
and grief to be able to articulate to me
14:05
what a beautiful person she was and
how they would like to see some changes
14:10
which is exactly how I open this
testimony I would like to see changes to
14:15
the entire immigration system code
which is supports a system that is broken and
14:20
that just is not effective and and
yet we don't think the beginning that
14:25
congress and missile down you when
you met with a Stanley family did you
14:31
apologize to them on behalf of the
president for his supporting policies
14:37
that have created sanctuary cities
across this country that led directly to
14:41
the murder of their daughter I
disagree with you that that's a statement of fact
14:45
and I did not express that so yeah I
did express my condolences for the loss but
14:51
but can notice her one thing
apologizing for the direct consequences of the
14:58
failures of the Obama administration
policies are another I'm curious after
15:02
meeting with with Kate sign lease
for family doesn't do you now support case
15:07
law the legislation I introduced to
prevent another young woman like a
15:13
slightly from being murdered from an
aggravated felony re-entering this
15:18
country over and over and over again
and being welcomed into a sanctuary city
15:22
like San Francisco I support the
whole restructuring of this statute sir that's
15:28
what I support I do not believe that
piecemeal efforts here in their
15:33
band-aids placed on this
matter
15:38
problem is going to do it without
comprehensive immigration reform so miss
15:42
you support that missile down you
understand your testimony correctly are
15:47
you saying no you do not support
case law I i have you also miss my testimony
15:54
as to why I cannot support an effort
to
15:58
I believe that's the one that
increases the mandatory minimum of five years for
16:04
aggravated felon who he legally
readers this country just like the murderer who
16:09
murdered Kate slightly last time I
checked it was very close to a majority
16:12
of illegal aliens in our current
president and I think you are very much
16:17
aware of the state of our current
prisons and the fact that they're
16:20
busting at the seams and there is a
hybrid operation for aggravated felonies
16:26
and believe that increasing the
minimum penalty is going to be the most
16:30
effective thing the most effective
thing to do with our immigration laws is to
16:33
reform the entire code so I want to
make sure that I understand the answer to
16:41
your question your answer if I
understand correctly is no you do not
16:47
support case laws that correct I
don't support just putting a band-aid on the
16:52
issue I think we ought to have the
very experienced lawyer you know how not to
16:58
answer a question I'm asking a very
simple yes or no do you support case law
17:02
already answered sir is your answer
now
17:05
poverty answer but you you you you
you want to play games that's that's that's
17:13
fine I will say an administration
that refuses to follow the law that releases
17:26
murderers rapists violent criminals
that has roughly one million illegal aliens
17:34
subject to orders of deportation and
yet you say you can't enforce the law there
17:44
is a reason the American people are
so frustrated with law enforcement
17:49
officials there are charged
with
17:51
protecting them who refused to do
their duty I will say on behalf of thousands
17:58
of ice officers and agents and on
behalf of thousands of Border Patrol agents who
18:05
are frustrated out of their minds
and a political administration that will not
18:11
let them enforce the laws
18:13
the american people are ready for
leaders that takes seriously the
18:21
obligation to protect this
country