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Floor Speech
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, every day, our Nation's ICE officers are putting their lives on the line to get criminal illegal aliens out of the communities, and I wanted to see firsthand what they were going through. So this past weekend, I joined a ride-along with ICE agents outside of Nashville.
Until you are actually on the ground, you do not appreciate the amount of work that goes into their operations. They are identifying the criminal illegal aliens. They are finding out where they are, and they are figuring out the safest way to surveil them and also to apprehend them.
And it is so much more than a full-time job. As I visited with the agents, what I found out is that nearly every one of them is working 75 and 80 hours a week, dealing with some of the worst criminals imaginable.
Now, when I joined the agents for the ride-along, they were targeting a criminal illegal alien who had been convicted of child sexual abuse. The agents could see a child on the individual's property, but they could not enter the home because they are not given a warrant. Instead, they have to wait until the criminal comes outside or is in a public space, and then they are able to apprehend him.
That is why it is so important that local law enforcement work with our ICE agents.
In Democrat cities with sanctuary policies, however, our Federal law enforcement is facing an uphill battle. Recently, amid violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, a mob surrounded ICE agents who had taken an illegal alien into custody. Amid the commotion, a group of men jumped out of a van and grabbed the suspect, helping him flee from the agents. According to recent reports, LAPD refused to send out an alert to track down the vehicle. They didn't want to run afoul of LA's sanctuary city policies.
What we also know is these ICE agents nationwide have seen a 500- percent increase in attacks against them.
Now, all of this should not be happening in our Nation's cities, which is why Congress should do everything that we can to support the ICE agents and work to make America safe again.
My CLEAR Act would ensure that State and local law enforcement officials have the explicit authority to assist the Federal Government in our immigration enforcement efforts, codifying the 287(g) program that is absolutely so critical to local law enforcement.
I also introduced legislation that would make it illegal to dox Federal immigration officials who are working to protect our communities.
Last month, Nashville's Democratic mayor did exactly that, handing information about Federal law enforcement agents on a silver platter to criminal gangs. Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Jeffries said ICE agents should be unmasked ``no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes.''
This appalling effort from Democrats comes at a time when, as I said, these agents are facing a 500-percent increase in assaults--500 percent.
Just last week, a criminal illegal alien in Minnesota used his car to drag an ICE officer 50 yards while that criminal was trying to evade arrest.
President Trump and Republicans understand that law enforcement deserves our unwavering support. That is why we are going to do what it takes to help them.
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