Tsongas Statement On Today's Vote On H.R. 3009 Regarding Immigration And Law Enforcement

Statement

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas released the following statement regarding today's vote in the House on H.R. 3009.

"Recent tragic events in San Francisco have led to an important national discussion about so-called "sanctuary' cities, the responsibilities of the federal government and local law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe, and the alarming circumstances that led to the tragic death of a 32 year old woman.

"Although there is no generally accepted definition of what policies constitute "sanctuary,' cities that identify themselves as "sanctuary' cities have made a decision to implement policies which limit local law enforcement's role in determining immigration status.

"While I do not represent any of the five "sanctuary' cities in Massachusetts, nor am I convinced that this designation is appropriate, I do represent several communities with large immigrant populations. It has been made very clear to me that giving local law enforcement officials the discretion as to how they allocate their limited resources and build relationships through investments in community policing programs is a very effective tool in keeping these cities safe.

"In response to the tragedy in San Francisco, the House of Representatives considered a bill today, H.R. 3009, that I believe would seek to second-guess law enforcement decisions made by communities around the country regarding the best way to prioritize public safety and gain community trust.

"Punishing law enforcement officers by withholding the funds they need to do their jobs is wrong and it is counterproductive to achieving cooperation between federal, state and local entities and the communities they serve and protect. That is why I opposed this bill, and why it is opposed by nearly every major law enforcement association in the country, including the Fraternal Order of Police, Major County Sheriffs' Association, Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (made up of police chiefs and sheriffs from around the country); as well as the U.S. Conference on Mayors and the National League of Cities.

"Rather than taking serious steps to fix our broken immigration system, H.R. 3009 is a piecemeal measure that has the potential to make it more difficult for our law enforcement officers to keep our communities safe.

"States and local governments have grappled with Congress' failure to fix our broken system of immigration in different ways, and this has led to a patchwork of laws that have real and serious consequences.

"The federal government has delayed action for too long. Only Congress has the authority and the resources necessary to tackle the problem at its root. Congress must be allowed to consider comprehensive immigration reform."

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