Goodlatte statement on DOJ/DHS report on immigration and national security

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the report issued by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States”:

“The startling information in this report confirms what we already know: our current immigration system is broken, and it fails to protect the American people. America is a nation of immigrants, most of whom came to this country seeking a better life. However, the years of lax enforcement, weak border security, and chain migration have brought in dangerous foreign nationals who have conspired against and in some cases harmed Americans. Of the 549 terror-related convictions since the attacks on September 11, 2001, 73% of those convicted were foreign born.

“I appreciate the Administration’s efforts to reform our immigration laws and improve our national security. To that end, I have worked with my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee to draft the Securing America’s Future Act. This legislation addresses many of the immigration problems identified by the Administration in October 2017, and it fixes the loopholes that allowed dangerous individuals to enter and remain in the United States as they planned to harm U.S. citizens. This bill is a necessary first step to fix our broken immigration system and protect the American people.”

Background: The Securing America’s Future Act bolsters enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, secures the border, and provides a long-term legislative solution for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The DOJ/DHS report was compiled in response to the President’s Executive Order 13780, and the full report is available here.