[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 106 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H4965-H4966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CLEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR CRIMINAL ALIEN REMOVAL ACT OF 2015

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia). The Chair 
recognizes the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to discuss 
H.R. 2964, the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act.
  This is a bill that I have had introduced every Congress since 2007. 
And we have many Members of this body, Mr. Speaker, who have joined as 
cosponsors of this legislation.
  What it would do specifically is this: It would ensure that State and 
local law enforcement officials have the tools necessary to help the 
Federal Government deport criminal illegal aliens from the United 
States.

                              {time}  1100

  My legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security, 
when a State or local law enforcement agency arrests an alien and 
requests DHS to take custody of that alien, to do a few specific 
things. Number one, they have to take the alien into Federal custody 
and incarceration within 48 hours and request that the State or 
municipality temporarily incarcerate the alien or transport the alien 
to Federal custody. This would allow them to remove this individual 
from the country and bar them from coming back.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill also requires the DHS to train State and local 
police in enforcement of immigration laws, the Federal Government to 
reimburse local and State governments, and to withhold funds from 
sanctuary cities.
  Now, we have heard a lot about these issues in the last few days, and 
one of the problems that we have is the sanctuary cities. Mr. Speaker, 
I have before my colleagues a map that was prepared by the Center for 
Immigration Studies. We now have in this country 200 sanctuary cities. 
I am reading from this map. More than 200 cities, counties, and States 
across the U.S. are considered sanctuary cities.
  Now, what happens in these cities is they choose to work around and 
to circumvent or not to abide by Federal law when it comes to 
immigration policy. That is one of the reasons passing the CLEAR Act is 
so important, holding them accountable.
  Also, reading from the map, I find it so interesting that the 
Department of Justice has never sued or taken any measure, including 
denying Federal funds, against the jurisdiction that is a sanctuary 
city. On the other hand, we know that the Department of Justice 
actually sued the State of Arizona for trying to strengthen its 
immigration laws.
  Mr. Speaker, I would come to the floor today as we talk about dealing 
with the criminal illegal alien population and highlighting H.R. 2964. 
I would ask my colleagues: What does your vote record say about your 
actions? Are you strengthening Federal law and abiding by Federal law? 
Or do those actions strengthen sanctuary cities? Do they provide more 
accountability? Is that what you are providing through your vote 
actions? Or is it something that allows a violation of Federal law to 
continue?
  I think it is imperative that we address the issue of criminal 
illegal aliens, that we address the issue of sanctuary cities; and, Mr. 
Speaker, I think that it is imperative that we move forward with 
passage of the CLEAR Act by this body. It is a simple bill.
  I encourage my colleagues to read it. It is 21 pages, and you will 
find in there that it addresses these issues that are front and 
foremost in our minds this day.

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