[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17041]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ``CATCH AND RELEASE''

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, about half the people caught crossing our 
borders illegally are from some other country than Mexico. They come 
from places like Colombia, Nicaragua, Brazil, Egypt, Poland, the 
Philippines, China, Syria, Russia and even France. But the detention 
facilities for these illegals are full. That means many, about half, 
are released on their own recognizance. That means on their word they 
promise to return for a deportation hearing. That means they are 
supposed to stay here, not leave. That further means 86 percent of 
those individuals never return for their hearing, according to USA 
Today.
  Are we surprised? This catch-and-release policy defies common sense. 
It wastes the efforts of our border agents. It does not provide 
consequences for illegally coming to the United States. Giving illegals 
a get-out-of-jail-free card is further evidence the United States must 
have an immigration plan that works.
  Everybody wants to live in the United States but everybody cannot 
live in the United States. We must have a policy that promotes legal 
immigration and prevents illegal immigration. This catch-and-release 
policy must cease.

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