KMA Land - Young Grills ICE Director on Policies
News Article
by Mike Peterson
Iowa 3rd District Congressman David Young is talking about a recent exchange with a Department of Homeland Security official in a congressional hearing.
The Van Meter Republican was among those questioning Sarah Saldana, the director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during a recent hearing held by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. During the hearing, Young questioned Saldana about recent statements made by President Obama indicating his administration's policies trumped rule of law.
"She is head of immigrations and custom enforcement," said Young. "They enforce the law. I asked her about a speech President Obama gave on February 25th at Florida International University. The president said that he and his administration have certain policies they demand to be carried out within immigration and customs enforcement. And if folks didn't--there would be consequences."
Saying the president's comments were a red flag, Young asked Saldana for her interpretation.
"She (Saldana) said the rule of law is second fiddle, second chair, to any policy and directive that they would roll out in her directorship under ICE," he said. "I was stunned. I thought maybe, you know, sometimes you hear things or see things, and maybe you didn't hear that or see that. We had to go back and check the videotape and the transcripts--me and my colleagues--and she really said that--that policies and directives are above the rule of law."
Young says he has a fundamental disagreement with Saldana. He believes the laws under the Constitution come first.
"There are many folks under her agency there," the congressman said, "that try to do the right thing. They're whistleblowers raising the red flag, who love this country, and are trying to enforce the law. There's retaliation there. It's a horrible thing, and it's no wonder that the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE--Immigrations and Customs Enforcement--have the lowest morale out there. Management does not trust these workers, and it's the other way around."
Committee members plan to ask the same questions to the Department of Homeland Security's border patrol administration during another hearing this week.
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