Providing For Consideration Of Conference Report On H.R. 2892, Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. I would like to thank my colleague from Florida for the time, as well as Chairman PRICE for his leadership in bringing the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security appropriations bill to the floor. It reflects the hard work of Chairman PRICE over the past year, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to comment on the committee's efforts here today.

I want to reiterate the gratitude that I first expressed towards Chairman PRICE and his staff during our colloquy earlier this year with Congresswoman Roybal-Allard regarding alternatives to detention.

This bill is about security and stability. One of the issues that we raised the profile of is alternatives to detention, a less costly way of detaining noncriminal immigrants.

There really is a human rights crisis right in our own midst in this Nation. We are holding over 30,000 noncriminal aliens, people like you and me. They lack documentation, but they have committed no criminal crime. They might have been speeding, been picked up from a speeding ticket; they could have been in the wrong place loitering at the wrong time.

And you and I and every other taxpayer are putting them up to the tune of $130 a day, average cost $30,000. Many of them remain in detention for 6 months, 9 months. I had the opportunity to visit a detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. I talked to people who had been there a year and a half, a year and a half away from their families, a year and a half at taxpayer expense.

I would like to applaud the Obama administration for supporting alternatives to detention. Our bill funds alternatives to detention at $70 million, lowers cost using ankle bracelets, more humane, allowing people to remain with their families, $30 a day average cost. This provides a glimpse of what we can accomplish if we work together.

It also underlines the critical importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform. If we can pass comprehensive immigration reform, I know that in future versions of the Homeland Security bill we can save money and have a more humane bill and focus the bill on Homeland Security where it should be focused, which is keeping our Nation safe, not as a back door to dealing with the failures of our broken immigration system.

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Thank you, Chairman Price, for your leadership in bringing the FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill to the floor. It reflects your hard work over the past year and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to support the committee's efforts to get here today. I want to reiterate the gratitude that I first expressed towards you and your staff during our colloquy with Congresswoman Roybal-Allard on detention alternatives earlier this year.

This bill is about security and stability. It furthers the need to secure our borders by guaranteeing the stability of our immigration services' contributions. It provides the funding necessary to continue America's leadership in providing a safe home for both Americans and all future Americans.

Thus, $122 million above 2009 levels is provided to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for its important work. Examples of such important work that will be carried on thanks to this bill are many: $50 million goes to process refugee applications and asylum claims so that our Nation may continue to admit those in greatest need; $11 million expands immigrant integration and outreach to help with pressing need once these immigrants are lawfully admitted; and $5 million ensures the naturalization of immigrants serving in our armed services.

Funding for detention beds as well as language requiring their maintenance ensures that immigrants will be humanely accommodated while their cases are adjudicated. And more importantly, $70 million goes to Alternatives to Detention--to expand this program nationwide. This steers us in the right direction--a direction of commonsense, cost-saving, and humane measures. It provides a glimpse into what we can accomplish if we continue to work together toward comprehensive immigration reform.

This bill only asks our immigrants one thing--to embrace our cherished tradition of the rule of law in the pursuit of freedom. As a result, this bill provides 3-year authorization extensions for all the immigrants that make ours a greater nation. From religious workers who strengthen our social fabric, to investors who create much-needed jobs while increasing overall credit availability, to rural-serving doctors, to refugees, all are covered in the FY 2010 Homeland Security bill.

While many provisions in this bill greatly improve our detention policies, there is still much to be done and I look forward to a concrete plan for the closing of our Guantanamo Bay facilities.

I once again thank Chairman Price and I look forward to working with you and your staff in the future.

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