[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 82 (Tuesday, June 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E834-E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014

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                               speech of

                         HON. YVETTE D. CLARKE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 5, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2217) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Chair, I rise today to support the Polis Amendment to 
defund the 287(g) program, a program that promotes racial profiling and 
injustice.
  The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to act as immigration 
officials, which has led to rampant abuses throughout the country, most 
notably in Arizona, where the practices under 287(g) led to an 
unprecedented civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice.
  As the Representative of the 9th Congressional District of New York, 
I have worked diligently to decrease the amount of racial profiling in 
New York City. I have worked to reduce the number of stop and frisks 
for the past year and eliminate the racial and ethnic intolerance that 
has plagued New York City and other cities around the country.
  By cutting the funding for a program that relies on racial profiling 
like 287(g), we are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate 
bigotry. Programs like 287(g) have created mistrust between Latino and 
other immigrant communities throughout the country and local law 
enforcement. Ending the 287(g) program will move our country in the 
right direction to repair the trust that has been lost and is a step 
forward in fixing our broken immigration system and restoring the rule 
of law.
  We must continue to work to build a supportive environment for 
immigrant and minority communities in every part of our civil society.

[[Page E835]]



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