Opening Statement of Rep. Hostettler at the Immigration, Border Security, and Claims Subcommittee

Opening Statement of Rep. Hostettler at the Immigration, Border Security, and Claims Subcommittee
Oversight Hearing on Immigration and the Alien Gang Epidemic

Today, the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims will examine the alien gang epidemic that is facing the United States.

"At this hearing, we will examine the role of aliens in gang crimes, investigate the immigration factors that have shaped the gang epidemic facing this country, and assess the use of the immigration laws in controlling alien gang crime.

"While there are an estimated 750,000 to 850,000 gang members in the United States today, there are no firm estimates on how many of those gang members are aliens, and how many are citizens. What is apparent, however, is that gang crime is a growing problem.

"Over 631 gang-related homicides occurred in 2001, and by 2003, the number of gang killings had jumped to 819. In addition to homicide, gang members have been directly linked to the narcotics trade, human trafficking, document fraud, and violent assaults.

"It is also apparent that aliens are members of many of the most violent gangs in America. Reports have indicated that 60 percent of California's 18th Street gang are illegal aliens. This gang is reportedly ‘involved in many types of criminal activities, including auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, drug sales, arms trafficking, extortion, rape, murder for hire, and murder.'

"Similarly, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported that ‘the majority of MS-13 members are foreign nationals in this country illegally.' Newsweek has termed MS-13, which has an estimated 20,000 members in the United States, ‘the most dangerous gang in America.' It has even been alleged to be negotiating with al Qaeda to smuggle terrorists into our country.

"It is also apparent that aliens are key members of these dangerous gangs. Lester Rivera Paz, the reputed leader of MS-13's Honduran branch, was arrested in Texas in February after escaping from his native country, where he's wanted in connection with a bus ambush. In the past four years, Paz has reportedly been deported four times by federal authorities.

"In addition, it is apparent that even younger members of our immigrant communities have become involved in gang violence. For example, the April 6, 2005, Washington Post reported on a ninth-grader who was stabbed and beaten with baseball bats outside Manassas Mall. A Prince William County police department spokesman stated the victim has been associated with the South Side Locos gang, and that the suspects are believed to be members of the rival gang ‘Sureno-13.'

"In response to the threat posed by alien gang members in the United States, in March ICE launched ‘Operation Community Shield,' an anti-gang initiative that is targeting members of MS-13 in six cities nationwide.

"To date, ICE agents, working with their federal, state and local counterparts, have arrested more than 150 MS-13 gang members nationwide for immigration violations.

"Some critics have complained, however, that flaws in our current immigration system hinder efforts to use the immigration laws to curtail the alien gang epidemic. For example, some have pointed to so-called ‘sanctuary' laws that prohibit state and local law enforcement officers from contacting immigration authorities about illegal aliens, even if they are previously deported criminals. Such laws require the police to wait until those illegal aliens prey on the public before they can act.

"Some have asserted that temporary protected status, or TPS, has also protected alien gang members who would have otherwise been deportable. In January, the government announced an 18-month extension of TPS for El Salvador, the home country of many MS-13 members currently in the United States. The Subcommittee has been told that two of three alleged MS-13 members charged in the 2002 rape of two deaf girls in Massachusetts had applied for TPS prior to that attack, and that one was granted that benefit.

"Finally, the lack of a ground of removal for gang membership has been cited as a hurdle to using the immigration laws to remove alien gang members from the United States.

"The Subcommittee will assess whether additional resources or authorities are necessary to make our immigration laws an effective tool for the government in responding to the gang problem facing our country."

http://www.house.gov/hostettler/News/Hostettler-news-2005-04-13-alien-gang-statement.htm