00:00Sanctuary cities make us all less safe and are a public safety nightmare.
00:05That is why I launched an investigation into sanctuary cities and why these mayors are here
00:09today. We cannot let pro-criminal alien policies and obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to
00:16endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers.
00:21Today Republicans have hauled before us the mayors of four major American cities
00:27to frame them as lawless because those cities have some limits on how intrusively
00:33and aggressively their own officials can conduct federal immigration operations and responsibilities.
00:39Let's be clear, the state and local laws that Republicans have issue with today are in full
00:45compliance with federal law. They do not obstruct ICE from carrying out its duties and they are
00:53backed by evidence demonstrating that they keep people safe and safer in counties with laws that
00:58do not honor extrajudicial civil detainers and had significantly lower levels of violent crime
01:06than counties that have them. Americans expect us to do more than point fingers. They expect us to
01:11solve problems. So if Denver can find a way to put aside our ideological differences long enough to
01:16manage a crisis we didn't choose or create, it seems only fair to ask that the body that is
01:22actually charged with solving this national problem, this Congress, can finally commit to do the same.
01:28When there is trust between cities residents and the police, undocumented immigrants come forward
01:33to report crimes to local law enforcement and provide information that helps the police solve
01:38those crimes. And now I know there are myths about these laws but we must not let mischaracterizations
01:46and fear-mongering obscure the reality that Chicago's crime rates are trending down. We still
01:52have a long way to go but sensationalizing tragedy in the name of political expediency is not governing,
01:59it's grandstanding. Every violent crime is devastating but scapegoating entire communities
02:05is not only misleading, it is unjust and it is beneath us. So let me be clear, Chicago's
02:12Welcoming City Ordinance and our other laws and policies do not lead to more crime. They do not
02:17prevent cooperation with federal law enforcement on criminal matters and we do not harbor criminals.
02:23We arrest them often because of laws that allow residents to feel safe helping the police.
02:29Today, one in four Boston residents were born somewhere else. Most have jobs, many have kids,
02:36all of them chose this country as their home because like my mom and dad, they believe that
02:42here where you've been doesn't limit where you're going. The strength of your character has nothing
02:47to do with the color of your passport and how hard you work matters more than where you were born.
02:54That wherever you're from, if you pitch in, look out for your neighbors and cheer for the home team,
03:00you can build a better future here for the people you love. So to every one of my neighbors back in
03:06Boston, know this, you belong here. This is your home. Sabotaging local economies and obliterating
03:14communities will not restore public safety, it will make us poorer while increasing the crime
03:20rate and victimization rate for Americans. There is a better approach. We don't need chaos
03:28and disorder of illegal immigration or of mass deportation. Why don't people come legally?
03:35Because Congress has provided so few options for them to do so, not updating its laws in the last
03:42three and a half decades.
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