Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chairman, as you know, this week is National Police Week. I thank every peace officer and law enforcement officer for doing their service and for protecting our communities day in and day out.

I want to make clear, Mr. Chairman, that no Democrat or Republican condones a serious assault on any peace officer, period. To the contrary, we want to help our police officers do their job.

Yesterday, my local Orange County sheriff was here to testify to address public safety issues. After that meeting, he pulled me aside, and he reminded me of how hard and long we had worked in Orange County to gain the trust of the immigrant community--trust that public safety needs to do their job--to report crimes when they happen and to cooperate with public safety because police officers need the help of the immigrant community to do their job.

That is just the fact. This bill threatens to undo decades of hard work and of building trust between public safety and the immigrant community.

This bill, in fact, is so broad that individuals can be deported for actions they are merely accused of.

Let me repeat: People can be deported for actions that they are merely accused of. We are talking about the ability to deport lawfully permanent residents, people with green cards.

Do we really want to deport these individuals--many of whom are close to becoming U.S. citizens--not based on convictions but simply an accusation?

What about the constitutional notion of innocent until proven guilty?

Mr. Chairman, in this bill a conviction is not required.

One would hope that someone who did not intend or did not cause harm would never be charged let alone convicted of a crime. However, any conduct could be considered an assault under this bill, and by the bill's broad definition, it would make someone deportable even without a charge and even without a conviction.

It is important to remember that convictions for serious assaults on a law enforcement officer are offenses today that make someone deportable under current law. In fact, we have a wide variety of criminal grounds for deportation, almost all of which require a conviction.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a simple amendment. It is simple. It requires a conviction. My amendment simply requires a court--a judge-- to decide on the facts and the law before a green card holder can be deported.

My amendment is simple. It asks for due process under the law.

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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