00:00If you have service in this committee, please reach out to us.
00:02And again, thank you for the work that you and President Trump are doing.
00:05I yield back.
00:06Gentlemen, I now, I think, recognized our last member making comments today.
00:12Mr. Garcia, you're recognized.
00:13Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:14Thanks for being here, Madam Secretary.
00:17And you said that you were committed to complying with the Constitution,
00:20which we, of course, all appreciate and think is important.
00:22Now, we all know that the Fifth Amendment states, and I just want to be very clear,
00:26that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
00:32The Fifth Amendment.
00:34Just to be clear in a simple yes or no, this actually says person.
00:36Is that correct, Madam Secretary?
00:38Correct.
00:39And you are aware that person has been defined by the Supreme Court repeatedly multiple times
00:44means citizens and non-citizens.
00:47Simple yes or no.
00:47Is that correct?
00:49Correct, I believe.
00:51And an April 7th ruling just recently, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed, and I'll quote,
00:56it is well-established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process under the law
01:01in the context of removal proceedings.
01:04But, of course, the Department reported 200-30 people who are in prison and indefinitely
01:08and who are in prison, who deported U.S. citizens, as known as today, children,
01:12who are in prison, who are in prison, who are in prison, who are in prison, and who are in prison,
01:13with illegally arrested students, and we know that just one of these students was released
01:19just last week, and you were mandated to do so.
01:21Now, the Fifth Amendment is clear.
01:24Madam Secretary, you committed to uphold the Constitution, is that correct?
01:27Yes.
01:29And you now, of course, commit to following the Fifth Amendment, is that correct?
01:32Yes.
01:34Now, Madam Secretary, you are violating that amendment as we speak, and you are breaking
01:38your oath.
01:39You are deporting people, and the Department is deporting people without due process.
01:43We cannot deport U.S. citizens.
01:45Without due process, there is nothing that Donald Trump could essentially be stopped in grabbing
01:50people off the street.
01:51That's happening today.
01:53Now, maybe someone in government might not like your tattoos.
01:55Maybe they don't like how somebody votes.
01:57Maybe they don't want to see how someone represents your constituents in Congress.
02:00But if you can't see a judge, no one can protect you.
02:02And I hope that you and I and everyone here can agree with that.
02:05And apparently, not even the Supreme Court actually matters when it comes to the case,
02:09of course, of Kilmar Garcia.
02:10But let's remember that we're not just deporting people.
02:13We're sending some of them to be locked up in one of the most dangerous prisons in the
02:16world.
02:17Now, Madam Secretary, you've heard this case today, but I have to speak about it one more
02:22time.
02:22I think it's really important.
02:23This is Andrew Romero.
02:25He had an appointment to come to this country to claim asylum.
02:28We gave him that appointment.
02:30The United States government gave him his asylum appointment.
02:33He comes for his appointment.
02:35He passes a credible fear interview.
02:37He's a gentle person, as described by his family.
02:40He's openly gay.
02:41He was leaving his country for persecution of being gay.
02:44He did everything right, claimed asylum.
02:46That was legal.
02:48And then we sent him to a dangerous prison at the border with no due process.
02:54There are claims about his tattoos.
02:55He has his parents' names on his tattoos and two crowns that relate to a festival back
03:01in his hometown.
03:02We are paying to lock this young gentleman up forever.
03:04What I would ask is the ambassador in El Salvador, we have asked for proof of life of Andrew.
03:11He has had no access to lawyers or family since he has been taken over a month now.
03:17No one knows if he's even alive.
03:18His mother just wants to know if he is alive.
03:22So my ask to you, Madam Secretary, is the same that I asked the ambassador.
03:25Can we do a proof of life check on Andrew just to see if he is alive?
03:30Congressman, we are utilizing the tools that Congress has given us to apply due process
03:35to individuals.
03:36We are doing that for every person, and we are making sure that we're following what
03:42you have given us as far as guidance and how things should be implemented.
03:45Would you commit to just letting his mother know, as a mother to mother, if Andrew is alive,
03:50he was given an asylum appointment by the United States government.
03:54We gave him an appointment.
03:55We said, Andrew, come to the border at this time to claim asylum.
03:58He was taken to a foreign prison in El Salvador.
04:01His mother just wants to know if he is alive.
04:03Can we check and do a wellness check on him?
04:05Our asylum applications are different than the granting of asylum, and I don't know the
04:09specifics of this individual case.
04:12This individual is in El Salvador, and the appeal would be best made to the president and
04:16to the government of El Salvador on this.
04:18This is not under my jurisdiction.
04:21Madam Secretary, you have said that CICOT in El Salvador is one of the tools in the toolbox
04:26that you have.
04:27You have said that and have been quoted as saying that.
04:29You and the president have the ability to check if Andrew is alive and if he's not being harmed.
04:34Would you commit at least into looking and asking El Salvador if he is alive?
04:37This is a question that's best asked to the president and the government of El Salvador.
04:41And I think you know very well that you could ask that question.
04:44What you are choosing to do, Madam Secretary, is disregard this young man's life, this young
04:49man's family who was given an appointment by the United States.
04:52I think it is shameful that you won't even request to see if this young man is alive.
04:58His family has no idea, has no access to lawyers.
05:00I would hope that we would have the humanity, the humanity to just check if this young man
05:05is okay.
05:05With that, I yield back.
05:06It's shameful.
05:08Gentlemen, Yelms, I think we've covered everyone.
05:12Mr.
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