[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 3 (Thursday, January 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S116-S117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, 
        Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, 
        and Mr. Wyden):
  S. 54. A bill to prohibit the creation of an immigration-related 
registry program that classifies people on the basis of religion, race, 
age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, nationality, or citizenship; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, today, I introduced the Protect American 
Families from Unnecessary Registration and Deportation Act of 2017, or 
the Protect American Families Act. This critical bill would advance 
civil and human rights by ensuring we protect American immigrants from 
being wrongfully targeted by the Federal Government because of who they 
are or how they worship. I thank Senators Elizabeth Warren, Brian 
Schatz, Ed Markey, Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy, Jeff 
Merkley, Mazie Hirono, and Ron Wyden for joining me on this important 
legislation.
  Enshrined in the Constitution are the ideas that all people are free 
to practice the religion of their choice and that we will not 
discriminate because of your faith or national origin. Creating a 
Federal immigration program that requires people to register their 
status with the Federal Government on the basis of their religion, 
race, ethnicity, gender, age, nationality, national origin, or 
citizenship is contrary to those values. Because the United States is 
the world's beacon of democracy, we must lead by example and live the 
values we preach.
  Yet, in troubling times we have not always stayed true to our values. 
During World War II, soon after Imperial Japan attacked United States 
Naval Base Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive 
Order 9066. That order authorized the Secretary of War to designate 
particular areas as military zones, which allowed for the removal of 
Japanese Americans from certain parts of the United States. 
Subsequently, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to 
internment camps.
  Similarly, in 2002, the year following the tragic terrorist attacks 
on September 11, the Federal Government created the National Security 
Entry-Exist Registration System, NSEERS. This Federal program required 
non-citizen visa holders from certain countries to register with the 
Federal Government. The registration process included fingerprinting, 
photographs, and interrogation. Once an individual registered, NSEERS 
required the person to regularly check in with immigration officials. 
Finally, NSEERS monitored people who registered with the program to 
ensure that no one remained in the country longer than the law 
permitted them.
  Inconsistent with the American values of religious freedom and 
nondiscrimination, the NSEERS program wrongly targeted males over 16 
years old from the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, 
Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, 
Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, 
Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and North Korea. 
Thus, 24 out of the 25 countries listed in the NSEERS program were Arab 
and Muslim countries. This was another moment in our nation's history 
where our leaders succumbed to the politics of

[[Page S117]]

fear and adopted a program that tore at the very fabric of our country.
  Immigration-registry programs do not make the public more safe. The 
purpose of NSEERS was to identify and capture terrorists. Yet, despite 
registering over 83,000 people, the program yielded zero terrorism 
convictions. Without proof of a single terrorist related conviction, 
the NSEERS program did not do its job of keeping the homeland safe.
  But immigration-registry programs do result in discrimination. The 
fact that NSEERS led to the forced registry, interrogation, and 
deportations of immigrants from predominantly Muslim or Arab countries 
is proof that broadly defined enforcement programs often result in 
racial and religious profiling. That is why the United Nations and 
major American civil rights groups condemned NSEERS for unfairly 
singling out Muslims. By targeting Muslims, NSEERS sent the wrong 
message that America does not welcome immigrants from certain lands.
  While the Obama administration dismantled the NSEERS program, this 
alone will not prevent the incoming administration from attempting to 
follow through on its threats to create a registry based on religion or 
national origin. On the campaign trail President-elect Trump called for 
a ``total and complete shutdown'' of Muslim immigrants entering the 
United States. Additionally, he has called for ``extreme vetting'' of 
immigrants reminiscent of NSEERS. It is incumbent upon congressional 
leaders to ensure that the United States does not sacrifice its values 
in the face of fear.
  Today, I introduce the Protect American Families Act to ensure that 
America protects the rights and liberties of American immigrants from 
overly broad, ineffective, and discriminatory registry programs. This 
bill would prohibit the Federal Government from requiring noncitizens 
to register or check in with the Federal Government simply because of 
their religion, race, ethnicity, age, gender, national origin, 
nationality, or citizenship. Banning the creation of a discriminatory 
registration program is not only consistent with our democratic values, 
but it allows law enforcement to focus resources on the real threats to 
our safety.
  The bill has commonsense exemptions. Data collection is critical in 
our fight against terrorists, and the bill allows the government to 
collect routine data on the entry and exit of noncitizens. The bill 
would also protect important immigration programs like Temporary 
Protected Status, Deferred Enforced Departure, the Visa Waiver Program, 
and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This provision makes clear 
that legitimate Federal programs that confer immigration benefits are 
not prohibited by the ban on enforcement immigration programs that 
target immigrants and other vulnerable Americans.
  In his First Inaugural Address, President Roosevelt said that ``the 
only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'' Unfortunately, he failed 
to live up to that statement when he issued Executive Order 9066. But 
we have a chance to fulfill that vision. We have a chance to stand up 
against fear and stay true to our American values in the face of 
hardship. I am proud to introduce the Protect American Families Act 
today, and I urge my colleagues to support its speedy passage through 
the Senate.

                          ____________________