Raphael Warnock To CBP Nom: Will You Permit ICE Agents To Conduct Raids On Churches And Schools?

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke about the Trump administration allowing ICE agents to conduct deportation raids in sensitive locations such as places of worship and schools.

Transcript

00:00Brother Chairman, Mr. Scott, congratulations on your nomination and enjoyed our conversation.

00:06Welcome to you and your family. When we met in my office, we agreed that we must have a secure

00:13border. There's no question about that. We have to have a secure border. We also agreed that we

00:19should treat everybody who arrives at our border seeking asylum with dignity and respect. Would

00:28you agree with that, yes or no? I believe we should treat everybody with dignity and respect.

00:34I agree with that. And I was alarmed, therefore, to see the Trump administration rescind a federal

00:44policy protecting sensitive locations, locations like churches, schools, and hospitals from

00:52immigration enforcement. I think fomenting fear, widespread fear in communities like what we're

01:00seeing right now, is not treating folks who live in that community with dignity or respect. Yes or no,

01:08are you currently aware? Are you aware of any CPB presence at churches, schools, or hospitals within

01:18and CBP's geographic jurisdiction? Other than for recruiting, I am not aware. You're not aware.

01:25As a pastor, I know firsthand the importance of being able to worship without fear of persecution.

01:33Do you agree that CBP presence outside a church can intimidate worshipers who are just there to worship

01:41and who pose no threat to the community? I'm aware that misunderstandings about CBP, what we do,

01:49uh, the way that information is shared in the media can make people fear when they should not.

01:55Do you agree that CBP presence outside a church would intimidate worshipers who pose no threat to the

02:05community? I can't speculate. I'm not trying to dodge the question,

02:09but I can't speculate on that answer. If you're a U.S. citizen or a legal resident, there's no reason

02:14to fear any CBP. I can tell you that there are communities that are experiencing widespread fear,

02:20regardless of their citizenship status or immigration status. And, um, I think those folks

02:27ought to be able to worship, uh, without fear and without intimidation. And I feel this deeply,

02:34uh, as a pastor, uh, as a pastor, um, you know, every Sunday as I lead worship in my sanctuary and

02:42there are folks who lead worship, participate in worship in sanctuaries, sanctuary ought to be just

02:47that. It ought to be sanctuary. And, um, uh, it's clear, uh, uh, to me that, that, that, that ought to be,

02:58uh, a line that we ought to respect unless there's something urgent and, and compelling. If confirmed

03:04to lead CBP, would, would you permit your officers to engage in immigration enforcement activity,

03:11uh, at churches, at hospitals, at schools, even when it's clear that your targets pose no danger

03:18to others in those locations? Yes or no?

03:22If confirmed as commissioner, I commit that I will have conversations with the, with the community

03:27and we'll make those decisions based on a case by case basis. I can't make a waiver because every

03:32case is different. There's an illegal, there's a violation of law. CBP has, or, or ICE or someone

03:39else has to take action. The standard I'm asking you about is, is very, very clear. I'm asking you

03:43if, if the person poses no danger or threat to themselves or others in those locations,

03:49those sensitive locations, do, do you still feel that, that the, that you have a compelling

03:56interest in violating what I see as sacred space, uh, in order to pursue somebody who's not a danger

04:03to themselves or the, or the community? So I commit to you if commissioner will do what, what I believe

04:09is being done now, which is a case by case basis. And if there are other places to take that law

04:15enforcement action that's required that don't involve those aspects you just talked about, that's where

04:21it should take place. But I can't give you a blanket. I'm not going to mislead anybody. I'm not

04:26going to give anybody a blanket promise that we're not going to go into those areas if we deem it's the

04:30right thing to do. Well, we're, we're seeing this happening right now. And, uh, I have to tell you that

04:37I disagree strongly with this policy. I believe that houses of worship are sacred. I believe that sanctuary

04:44is sanctuary. I believe that folks ought to be able to go to school and get an education. They ought to

04:50be able to go to the hospital when they're sick, uh, and that we ought to protect these sensitive

04:56locations. And that's why I'm a proud co-sponsor of Senator Blumenthal's Protecting Sensitive Locations

05:02Act to ensure that no one has to live in fear while getting medical care while being educated

05:08or worshiping their God. Uh, thank you so much. I enjoyed our conversation and if confirmed,

05:15I strongly encourage you to please, sir, instruct your officers to treat everybody, uh, in CBP's

05:22jurisdiction, particularly in these sensitive areas with dignity and respect. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

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