00:00You promised America that you would go after the worst of the worst, but these people are not the worst of the worst.
00:06A Purple Heart recipient, a military spouse, the father of three Marines.
00:11Madam Secretary, how many United States military veterans have you deported?
00:16Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans.
00:21I don't believe you served in the military. I haven't either.
00:24But I think you and I can agree that as Americans, we owe everything to those who have served our country in uniform, particularly those who have served in combat.
00:32Do you agree with that?
00:33Sir, I believe that people that are in this United States that are citizens have legal status here.
00:38Madam Secretary, we are joined on Zoom by a gentleman named Sejun Park.
00:43He is a United States Army combat veteran who was shot twice while serving our country in Panama in 1989.
00:50Like many veterans, he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse after his service.
00:56He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious.
01:00He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he's been clean and sober for 14 years.
01:05He is a combat veteran, a Purple Heart recipient.
01:09He has sacrificed more for this country than most people ever have.
01:13Earlier this year, you deported him to Korea, a country he hasn't lived in since he was seven years old.
01:20Will you join me in thanking Mr. Park for his service to our country?
01:24Sir, I'm grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws.
01:28And can you please tell Mr. Park why you deported him?
01:30Every one of them needs to be enforced.
01:32But you understand that many veterans struggle with PTSD.
01:35Many veterans struggle with substance abuse challenges.
01:39This man took two bullets for our country.
01:42You have broad authority, by the way, as secretary, to issue humanitarian parole, to do deferred action.
01:49Will you commit to at least looking at Mr. Park's case to see if you can help him find a pathway back to this country that he sacrificed so much for?
01:57I will absolutely look at his case.
01:58Madam Secretary, the man behind you, please stand up, sir.
02:03His name is Jim Brown from Troy, Missouri.
02:07He is a Navy combat veteran who served our country in the Gulf War.
02:10He's married to a woman named Donna, who came to our country legally from Ireland when she was 11 years old.
02:18She has lived here for 48 years.
02:20Because of you, Jim's wife Donna has been in prison for the last four months.
02:25She did not come here illegally.
02:28And she has never committed any crime other than writing two bad checks totaling $80 10 years ago.
02:35She is currently in prison and facing deportation.
02:40Ms. Noam, will you thank Mr. Brown for his service to our country?
02:43Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your service to our country.
02:45Now, what possible explanation can there be for locking up his wife for four months when she has committed no crime other than writing a couple of bad checks for $80?
02:56Sir, it is not my prerogative, my latitude, or my job to pick and choose which laws in this country get enforced.
03:02You have broad discretion as the secretary.
03:04You can issue parole.
03:07You can do all kinds of things.
03:08But you're choosing not to.
03:09Will you commit, again, to just reviewing Donna's case and reuniting this combat veteran with his beloved wife, who also loves this country?
03:18I will review the case.
03:20Now, Madam Secretary, you've already heard the story of Lance Corporal Alejandro Barranco, the United States Marine veteran who is behind you, who also has two brothers who are United States Marines.
03:32Will you thank Lance Corporal Barranco for his service?
03:36Thank you for your service.
03:36His father, Narcisco Barranco, is a landscaper in California who has lived peacefully in our country for 30 years and has no criminal record.
03:45Last spring, while he was mowing the lawn at an IHOP, ICE agents tackled him in the street and imprisoned him for weeks.
03:53A peaceful, hardworking man who raised three sons to be United States Marines.
03:59We need men of that character in this country.
04:02Again, as Secretary, you have broad discretion.
04:07Will you consider Lance Corporal Barranco's father for parole in place to stay in our country, owing to the fact that he has contributed to our country by raising three United States Marines?
04:17This is an opportunity to remind everybody that every person that's in this country illegally has an opportunity to voluntarily go home.
04:26Oh, come back the right way.
04:28Follow our laws and we will facilitate that.
04:31He has been living here peacefully, doing his job for 30 years.
04:34You have discretion.
04:35You are choosing not to use it.
04:36Madam Secretary, you promised America that you would go after the worst of the worst.
04:41But these people are not the worst of the worst.
04:44A Purple Heart recipient, a military spouse, the father of three Marines.
04:48And it's not just veterans and military families.
04:51You are locking up and deporting children with cancer, mothers with babies in the NICU, United States citizens.
04:58There are many problems with your leadership, but the biggest problem is this.
05:04You don't seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.
05:09Go after the bad guys.
05:10Go after the terrorists.
05:12Do not go after veterans, Marines, children, United States citizens.
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