False Narratives Surrounding Conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center

[22:41] Subcommittee will come to order without objection. The chair is authorized to declare a recess [22:46] at any time. Welcome everyone today. Welcome to our hearing on Delaney Hall. [22:52] I am now, we are now going to pledge allegiance to the flag and we will stand for a moment, [22:58] continue to stand for a moment of silence for our fallen service members. Please rise. [23:04] Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, which is standing for God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. [23:19] Remain standing. Now recognize myself for an opening statement. I want to thank all the witnesses for [23:46] being here. It's always a labor of love and I know it takes time to get here, time to be here, [23:51] time to get back, so we do appreciate all of you. We're here today because of a narrative that has [23:57] been told over and over and over again for weeks. The narrative is that Delaney Hall and by extension [24:07] all of these detention centers are places of cruelty. It's just not true. That the people working there [24:15] are starving, the detainees are hurting, they are being denied medical care, and they're being abused. [24:24] I want to be very direct about this story. It's false. It's not true. It's not accurate. And the people [24:33] telling it know it's false. They have seen the same things that I have seen. I can tell you because I've [24:40] seen it with my own eyes. I walked the facility, I met with the staff, not just the routine zipping out, [24:47] we were there a long time. And what I saw goes against all the narratives that you hear and that the [24:55] Democrats have tried to say about this facility. Detainees there are served three meals a day [25:02] and are evaluated by certified dieticians. I'm just going to go through the list. They have access to [25:08] medical, dental, and mental health care. And if it's something more they can deal with, they have [25:13] cooperative agreements with local hospitals. They get 24-hour emergency care whenever and wherever it's [25:23] needed. And, you know, I'm a dentist, so I got a chance to talk to the dentist. I'm sorry, the [25:28] physician, the dentist I did not get a chance to speak with. Just as an aside, you know, there's this [25:35] sense that, oh, they're not getting good medical care. He went into, and he can't show me private files, [25:40] obviously. That's, you know, classified information between a physician and his patient. But told me about [25:48] the people who had diabetes and never knew it. Told me about individuals who had never been to a doctor [25:54] before in their life and finally receiving medical care. People with high blood pressure. People with [26:01] a variety of issues and illnesses that were receiving medications and prescriptions for them [26:09] for the first time ever in their life. The Department of Homeland Security has said plainly [26:15] that ICE holds these facilities to higher standards than a most American prison. And that's what I saw. [26:23] And I have to tell you, again, in my former life as a state senator, I was chairman of the Prison Gang [26:29] Task Force. I went into every facility in the state of New Jersey. Every one of them. The good, the bad, [26:35] and the ugly. And let me tell you, they wish that those facilities look like this facility does. [26:44] Because this facility was far nicer. I originally went hoping it was as good as that, at least. [26:50] It is far better. When members of this very body toward the facility, one of our Democratic colleagues, [26:57] she doesn't want to say it now, but when they were in there, looked and said in her words, it's a quote, [27:02] gee, things aren't bad. That's all I'll say. State health inspectors went into the kitchen and found the [27:09] sanitation and physical conditions satisfactory, free of any sign of vermin. This is the state of New Jersey, [27:17] state health inspectors, very blue state, very Democratic state, sent their health inspectors in [27:24] from the governor's office, and they said everything was good. That's not what they had to say about New [27:30] Jersey prisons, by the way. Despite all of it, weeks of false claims being made by Democrats have drawn [27:38] crowds to Delaney Hall. Crowds have thrown projectiles. They had set fires. They blocked law enforcement [27:44] vehicles. They blocked an ambulance. Officers have been assaulted. More than 80 people had to be arrested. [27:51] This is what false narratives produce, not only here, but in general. Chaos outside. [27:59] Danger for men and women who are really doing their job. They're simply doing what has been asked of them, [28:06] and they are local folks from the city of Newark. It endangers the workers of the facility, [28:13] most of whom, as I said, are Newark residents. So when the mayor of Newark and the governor of New [28:17] Jersey pulls away the police or sparks anger among protesters, they endanger their own citizens. [28:25] Again, where there is cooperation in many ways among county, state, local, and federal officials, [28:37] we have very few problems anywhere in the country. It's where that cooperation doesn't exist [28:43] that we have problems. ICE is not supposed to be doing crowd control. They should have help. They [28:50] could have help. It's wrong that they don't get the help that they need. Democrats, on the other hand, [28:56] continue to choose the side of illegal immigrants over the American people. Only a few weeks ago, [29:01] they convened a field hearing to give voice to illegal criminal immigrants in detention at Newark. [29:10] And I would ask them, when's the last time they convened a hearing for all of the American families [29:16] across this great country who were victims? The mothers, the fathers, the children who lost a [29:23] loved one to a crime committed by somebody who was in this country illegally? When was the last time [29:28] Democrats offered those families a hearing room? The people detained at Delaney Hall are not all random [29:36] innocence. And, you know, let me say this. I mean, for those of us that have sat here through hearings, [29:43] and you've seen children that will never be okay, and you've seen parents and families that will never [29:51] be okay because their child was beaten, was raped, was murdered, there are no words for that. We just got to [30:00] make sure it doesn't happen. And it's wrong. We knowingly and purposely, not we, but others, let these [30:08] individuals into our country, and they shouldn't have, and they should be detained. And by the way, [30:15] if it's so bad at Delaney Hall, just so you know, everybody, everybody has the option to self-deport. [30:22] They will be helped if they want to self-deport. They want to leave. It's not good. They don't like [30:27] the food. They don't like the housing. They don't like the recreation. I didn't even go into, by the [30:32] way, the soccer fields. I didn't go into the gym that is better than, and I, you know, I try to hit the gym [30:38] every day, and I've been in a few nice gyms for many, many years, and this was up to any of them, [30:44] any of them, anywhere that I've seen. So why the false narratives? Why would anybody do this? [30:52] I know it's false. I've seen it with my own eyes. The people who are saying the false narratives know [30:58] the truth, but they keep pushing the big lie, and all it does is create chaos. It fuels hostility [31:06] towards law enforcement officers. It creates crime. It creates problem. It separates the country. It [31:12] divides the nation. None of it is good. It should stop. We just want to keep our community safe. [31:19] We don't want more kids to die. We don't want more brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, [31:25] families to be heard. And by the way, there's the hunger strike. Oh, the food's so bad. They're making [31:31] us eat maggots. Look at the food. They've got halal for those that are Islamic food. They've got kosher [31:38] food. They've got, if you have different diseases or illnesses or health issues, they've got restricted [31:45] diets. Anybody in a restricted diet, low-salt diet, et cetera, can get what they need there. [31:50] But there was the hunger strike. We're not eating. We're on a hunger strike. We're going to sacrifice. [31:54] We're not going to eat. What did we find out? I don't know if you all know. No, they were eating. [32:00] They were giving money by outside forces. They were going to the commissary, and they were getting [32:06] their potato chips and Twinkies and, you know, you name whatever else. And maybe it's New Jersey, [32:12] so they were getting some good New Jersey pizza. I don't know. But they were getting plenty of food. [32:16] And in fact, during that time of the supposed hunger strikes, the population went down 13% in Delaney [32:25] Hall. But the food intake at the commissary tripled, tripled. They were eating good, [32:32] and they were eating a lot. So nobody's a victim here. Nobody's a sacrificing, self-sacrificial person. [32:41] I don't know if they were eating healthy food. They would have been better off eating the food they [32:45] were supposed to, because it was pretty damn healthy. It was a balanced diet. By the way, [32:49] everybody who's got a registered dietitian telling them what they should eat every day, [32:53] raise your hand. They do. They do. Just so you know. I want to thank the witnesses for being here. [33:00] I want to yield back. And now I want to recognize my friend, the ranking member, [33:04] Ms. Crockett, for an opening statement. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. And thank you so much to the [33:11] witnesses that are here, as well as other colleagues that are sitting in the audience. We're back again for [33:19] another edition of the Republican Party's Great Replacement Theory therapy session, where all the [33:27] white men of the House Judiciary Committee lecture Americans on the importance of mass deportations [33:32] so that they preserve their so-called American values, like shooting and killing American citizens [33:38] who are peacefully protesting, or stuffing hundreds of thousands of people into cages without proper [33:43] nutrition or medical care. But nevertheless, in the time since our last hearing on this topic, [33:50] more than 40 people have died while in ICE custody, of which 30 percent have died at a facility run by [33:59] GEO Group, who happens to be the same private detention contractor that operates Delaney Hall. [34:05] At multiple GEO facilities, individuals report dangerously substandard conditions, including mold, [34:12] various outbreaks, including chicken pox, and insufficient food and water. Facilities operated by GEO [34:19] have failed to comply with ICE's own national detention standards. In fact, on numerous occasions, [34:26] the government found that GEO-run facilities had, quote, incompetent leadership and that, quote, [34:32] problematic medical care was occurring as a result, unquote. GEO has also been admonished by the courts, [34:40] yet the chairman has not called anyone from the company to testify before this subcommittee, [34:46] which is not surprising because they're pouring millions of dollars into Republican campaigns [34:51] across the country. Let us play a game of follow the money, shall we? GEO Group has donated more than [34:58] one million to Donald Trump's Super PAC, nearly one million to Speaker Mike Johnson's Super PAC, [35:05] hundreds of thousands to John Thune's Super PAC. So they spend millions to get Republicans elected [35:11] around the country, and in return, they get federal contracts to operate detention facilities. [35:17] Republicans in Congress ignore the fact that people are dying in their facilities because of [35:22] inhumane conditions and potentially criminal negligence. Also, since our last hearing on this topic, [35:30] ICE agents have killed seven people, including the brutal murders of multiple Americans [35:35] and citizens. This is all occurring while DHS routinely violates federal law. In 2024, Congress passed [35:43] a law that allows members of Congress to visit detention facilities without providing any prior notice. [35:49] DHS has repeatedly violated this law. They have stopped members of Congress from entering detention [35:55] facilities to conduct oversight visits. GEO Group and DHS have not only blocked members of Congress from [36:04] entering their buildings. They have also blocked the state of New Jersey and the city of Newark from [36:09] conducting their own oversight. The governor has called for the facility to be closed. The city of Newark [36:15] has sued GEO. The New Jersey Attorney General successfully sued GEO so that health inspectors [36:22] must be allowed into the facility. So a record number of people are dying in ICE's custody, mainly at facilities [36:30] operated by GEO. And ICE is shooting and killing a record amount of people. Yet again, the chairman [36:37] has failed to call any government official to testify before this subcommittee. No one from ICE, no one from [36:44] CBP, no one from the DOJ, and no one from the White House. So Democratic Democratic members of Congress, like [36:53] Congresswoman LaMonica McIvor, have been conducting oversight themselves. In May of 2025, Rick McIvor was [37:02] participating in a lawful congressional oversight visit at Delaney Hall with the mayor of Newark and other [37:08] members of Congress. During the visit, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who wants to become the AG, [37:15] the FBI, ordered the violent arrest of Newark Mayor Roz Baraka. According to body cam footage worn by the [37:24] violent federal officers, they arrested the mayor, quote, per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States. [37:31] The federal agents also said that they would arrest anyone who would, quote, get in their way. The federal [37:38] federal agents then violently assaulted the mayor, Rep McIvor, Rep Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rep Menendez. [37:48] Todd Blanche is now prosecuting Rep McIvor instead of DHS and GEO officials who continue to break the law [37:57] while a record amount of people are dying in their facilities or being shot and killed by DHS agents on the streets in [38:05] America. This is one of the many reasons why Todd Blanche should never become the Attorney General of [38:11] the United States. Last week during his Senate confirmation hearing, the acting Attorney General [38:18] said aloud what everyone here already knows, that he serves as the President's Attorney and not on behalf of [38:26] the American people. Blanche blocked investigations into the murders of Renee Good and Alex Preddy. He gave [38:33] Trump and his sons a super pardon that gives them lifelong protection from any investigation, audit, [38:40] lawsuit, or prosecution by any federal agency for any violation of federal law. He created the $2 [38:48] billion fund to pay January 6 insurrectionists for attacking the Capitol. He's protecting the [38:54] pedophiles and sex traffickers in the Epstein files. He's threatening reporters with prosecution. He's lied [39:00] numerous times to federal judges and refused to abide by federal court orders. And just like the [39:06] Republicans on this committee, he's part of the DHS cover-up that's using American tax paying dollars [39:14] to brutalize tens of thousands of people, even killing them. And when I say people, I'm talking about [39:24] citizens and otherwise. If the Republicans really wanted to know what was happening at Delaney Hall or any [39:32] other detention facility, they would push for unannounced congressional and independent oversight. [39:38] Since the Republicans claim to be Christian, they should be, they should open their Bibles and read [39:44] Ephesians chapter 5 verse 11 that states, quote, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, [39:53] but rather reprove them. I yield back. Thank the ranking member. It was a combination of a speech and a [40:01] little sermon at the end, right? With that, I will ask the chairman of the full committee [40:08] from the gentleman from Ohio. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for this hearing. I want to thank [40:12] our witnesses for being here. The chairman's been there. The chairman talked about the false narrative. [40:18] He's been there and seen it for himself. But the reason the Democrats don't want to talk about [40:22] anything other than this, some of the things brought up by the ranking members in her opening statement, [40:28] is because they want to take the message away from what they've done. And I've said this in many hearings, [40:33] I'll continue to say it. Step one, let in 10 million illegal migrants in the Biden administration. [40:41] Have no border. Step two, create sanctuary jurisdictions, which makes it difficult to [40:47] remove those illegal migrants when they commit another crime. And then step three, don't pay the [40:54] guys, don't fund the guys to do the removing. They shut down the government twice, two longest [40:59] shutdowns in history because they didn't want to pay ICE agents, didn't want to pay federal law [41:03] enforcement to do their job. 18 cities, 11 states, three counties and the District of Columbia are [41:10] sanctuary jurisdictions. That represents almost a third of the country where the politicians tell [41:16] local law enforcement don't work with federal law enforcement when it comes to enforcing federal law. [41:23] That is just dumb. I will continue to say that is stupid. Not letting law enforcement work together to [41:30] protect communities. And we have had witness after witness. One of the most powerful ones I've ever [41:36] seen was Jessica Gorman two weeks ago, who came and talked about what happened to her daughter in Chicago, [41:42] student at Loyola University, out for a walk and gets attacked and killed by an illegal migrant who had [41:47] committed another crime and was out on bail in that sanctuary jurisdiction. So they want to talk about [41:54] anything else except what's going on. And oh, by the way, these prosecutors like Mr. Krasner, Mr. Descano, [42:02] Alvin Bragg, all these prosecutors who thought not just those three steps, let in 10 million, [42:07] create sanctuary jurisdictions, don't fund the guys who do the removing. The fourth step is we're going to [42:13] treat illegal migrants who commit a crime. We're going to treat them better than American citizens who commit [42:18] the same crime because they all have policies that say we will take into account the immigration status [42:24] deportation status of the migrant who committed a crime. When we determine what kind of charges we're [42:29] going to bring and what kind of plea agreement we're going to have. That is ridiculous as well. [42:33] That is stupid as well. And frankly, I think unconstitutional. So that's why we have these [42:37] hearings to highlight and underscore how ridiculous it is in now what represents almost a third of the [42:43] country in these sanctuary jurisdictions. We have passed legislation on this committee. I hope, [42:48] I hope sometime soon the bill passes the house, moves to the Senate and actually becomes law because [42:54] a third of the country would be much better off if we got rid of this concept. And with that, [42:59] again, I thank the chairman for his work, for going there, and for this hearing, and would yield back. [43:04] Thank the chairman and I recognize the ranking member. [43:09] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to start by recognizing two of our colleagues in the audience, [43:14] Representative LaMonica MacGyver, who represents New Jersey 10, and Representative Rob Menendez, [43:20] New Jersey 8 were with us today. We're talking about exactly what the majority wants us to talk [43:28] about because they control the agenda. They've called this hearing and we've been responding to [43:33] them. The ambiguous title of today's hearing, False Narratives Surrounding Conditions at the Delaney [43:40] Hall ICE Detention Center, naturally invites the question of whether the majority is seeking to [43:46] debunk false narratives or entrench false narratives. One clue is that the title does not refer to facts [43:52] at all. Another is that the majority has neither organized a committee visit to Delaney Hall, [43:57] which we easily could have done, nor even undertaken the basic step of inviting an actual [44:02] administration witness from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security to be with us here today to [44:08] answer questions from members of Congress. That doesn't sound much like an intensive fact-based [44:13] investigation to me. ICE and Homeland Security have been concocting false narratives to mask [44:19] the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall and other ICE detention facilities since Stephen Miller and [44:24] Donald Trump launched their 2,000 arrests a day quota onslaught against American communities and immigrants. [44:34] An entire ecosystem of lies and corruption now governs at ICE and DHS, where hundreds of millions of [44:41] taxpayer dollars were spent by Kristi Noem on lavish private jets complete with bedrooms and wet bars [44:51] and narcissistic public relations campaigns where no-bid government contracts are passed out to mega [44:58] donors like Mar-a-Lago party gift bags and where obscene corruption is stacked on top of obscene cruelty. [45:08] DHS officials routinely lie to federal judges about institutional conditions and practices. They [45:15] and their lawyers have been caught over 800 times brazenly defying court orders and lying to federal [45:24] judges and magistrates. They are routinely excoriated in court for their lawlessness in their betrayal of [45:31] the legal profession, but with no apparent effect on their behavior. American citizens like the people [45:38] in this room have been held illegally for weeks by ICE. American citizens have been beaten, bloodied, and [45:46] killed simply for exercising their First Amendment and their Second Amendment rights in a way disfavored by the [45:53] masked paramilitary forces of ICE. The good chairman says, hey, if you don't like the wonderful accommodations at [46:01] Delaney Hall offered by the Department of Homeland Securities, you can just self-deport whenever you want. [46:12] Actually, it's not true. Check out a federal district court decision handed down yesterday, Mr. Chairman, [46:18] on July 21st in the United States District Court of the District of New Jersey, Marlon Andres Torres Gomez [46:25] versus Luis Soto Warden Delaney Hall. Well, this is a case where a detainee of the deluxe accommodations [46:34] got an agreement to get out on May 12th, May 12th while he was in custody and an immigration [46:43] judge ordered that his self-deportation be allowed. And then it was set for June the 10th. And guess [46:53] what? He had a plane ticket. He had an agreement with ICE. He had an agreement with Delaney Hall. [46:57] And then they blocked him from leaving the country at the airport, brought him back and said he was now [47:03] in the custody of ICE all over again. Now, this district court opinion strikes that down and says it's [47:08] an absolute violation of habeas corpus in the agreement that ICE made. So even if you assume [47:16] that Delaney Hall has the kind of accommodations that Ghislaine Maxwell has down at the prison camp, [47:25] she was switched to by Todd Blanche when he liked what she had to say about Donald Trump's involvement [47:32] with Epstein files. And then suddenly she got the deluxe Trump Hotel treatment, including use of [47:38] a therapy puppy, room service in her cell and so on. And even if you assume that's going on with [47:44] everybody at Delaney Hall, you can't get out. At least maybe they'll change their tune now with this [47:51] court decision. But we've heard about other cases like this. And, you know, one of the officers suggested [47:57] to me that the reason why there are really bad conditions in some of these facilities is because [48:02] Stephen Miller and Donald Trump want people to leave. They don't want them to have their day before [48:08] administrative judge and they want to make it as miserable as possible for people. So they self [48:12] deport. And so I leave it to the judgment of members of the committee, whether that's the way [48:17] that America should be treating people in this situation. Nonetheless, Delaney Hall is a detention [48:25] facility owned and operated by Geo Group, a private for profit prison contractor that is a billion dollar [48:30] government contract to operate this facility for people being held on civil immigration charges. Roughly 90% [48:39] of the 891 people detained at Delaney Hall in April had no criminal record. By DHS's own accounting, [48:47] 90% had no criminal record. Of the one in 10 detainees who did have a criminal record, the most common [48:52] offenses were traffic violations. In May of this year, 300 detainees launched a hunger and labor strike. [48:59] They described being treated like animals. They and their lawyers reported meals of rotten meat, expired, [49:05] expired meals, meals with worms in them. Senator Andy Kim, our former House colleague who conducted [49:11] unannounced oversight visits of the facility, reported seeing milk so spoiled it had curdled [49:17] completely. Detainees say the water is foul tasting and undrinkable. People were forced to sleep on floors [49:24] due to overcrowding. And as billions of dollars of taxpayer money are pocketed by corporations in lavish [49:31] inside contracts, detainees experience poor ventilation, extreme cold in winter, [49:37] scalding showers, physical abuse by guards, and a shortage of basic necessities. The medical conditions [49:43] of detainees are alarming. Rita Lynn Harris, a detainee with glaucoma, anemia, high blood pressure, [49:49] and circulation problems, was denied her medications because facility officials called her care cosmetic. [49:56] Senator Kim met with a pregnant detainee who was not receiving appropriate OBGYN care. Another woman [50:02] received no medical attention after she'd had a miscarriage. Delaney Hall is not an isolated case. [50:09] Across the country, the bureaucratic indifference of ICE and extravagant profiteering of its corporate [50:16] partners create ghastly conditions in many cases. In a New Mexico center, a detainee experiencing unbearable [50:23] dental pain that had been left untreated for months despite repeated requests to see a dentist, [50:30] Mr. Chairman pulled out his own tooth. In Texas, the converging indifference of Kristi Noem and the [50:36] sadistic incompetence of RFK Jr. produced an epidemic outbreak of measles at Camp East Montana, ICE's largest [50:45] detention center in the state, which then contributed to the measles pandemic already raging in Texas. [50:52] According to the Associated Press, detainees report that even the most basic care is denied there, [50:58] a gauze bandage to protect an open foot wound, prenatal care for a high-risk pregnancy, a pillow [51:04] to ease the pain of sleeping with advanced stomach cancer, sanitary pads for postpartum bleeding. [51:11] All of these are complaints that have been filed with the facility. Since the administration took office, [51:16] more than 50 people have died in ICE custody. More have died in custody in 2025 than in any year [51:23] in the last two decades. The rate of death in ICE custody is spiking because the conditions are [51:29] simply worse than they've ever been before. ICE and DHS traffic in lawless violence, propaganda, [51:36] and disinformation to mask all the corruption and cruelty which are the daily bread of the system. [51:42] In Minneapolis, ICE and Border Patrol agents shot dead Renee Good and Alex Peretti in broad daylight [51:47] at point-blank range and then defamed both of these innocent Americans, one a mother of three, [51:53] another a VA nurse, by labeling them domestic terrorists. The new regime at DHS Undersecretary [52:02] Mullen, well, the jury is still out, but we haven't seen much change yet. Just weeks ago in Texas, [52:09] an ICE officer killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a construction worker who had lived and worked in [52:14] America without any incident. No criminal convictions or charges for 35 years. Federal law enforcement [52:21] tried to justify the killing by saying officers found suspicious substances in his car. The suspicious [52:26] substance turned out to be salt. In Maine, just a week later, an ICE officer with a history of [52:31] psychological issues and domestic violence, he threw his 13-year-old daughter through a glass table, [52:37] fatally shot 26-year-old Johann Sebastian Guerrero, the father of a three-year-old girl whom he treated [52:43] like a princess, according to her mother. At what point do we say enough is enough? The government [52:49] isn't targeting the worst of the worst. It's behaving like the worst of the worst. DHS agents are arresting [52:55] kindergarteners, daycare teachers and parents dropping off children at school. Roving gangs of officials are [53:01] abducting children from their beds in the middle of the night or using them as bait in order to catch an [53:06] arrest arrest their frantic parents. DHS is rounding up workers with lawful status, working at small [53:13] businesses as roofers, plumbers, landscapers, farmhands and nurses. They're arresting refugees who went [53:19] through stringent vetting to come here and targeting immigrants who are following the law by showing up [53:25] at their court hearings and ICE check-ins. At what point will we finally say enough to this? This is not [53:33] America. So my friends, I'm happy to hear about what's happening in Delaney Hall. I should think we should do [53:41] investigations about all of the detention centers across the country where people are complaining. But this is a nation [53:48] that's built on immigration, except for the descendants of people who are brought here, kidnapped, abducted and [53:55] turned into slaves. And except for the Native Americans, all of us are descendants of immigrants. [54:02] And the vast majority of people being held in these facilities are not criminals of any variety. And we [54:09] should get back to the rule of law in America and remember the Statue of Liberty. And remember what Tom [54:14] Paine said when he got here in 1774. He said, if this nation lives up to its values and ideals, it will become an [54:21] asylum to humanity, not an insane asylum, but a place of refuge for people seeking freedom from [54:28] religious and intellectual and political repression from all over the world. Let's get back to the [54:33] America that still lives in our hearts. I yield back to you, Mr. Chairman. I respect the ranking [54:39] member, and I mean it, I do. I don't have the opportunity to respond to all that right now because of [54:44] the rules. But I want to say I thoroughly and robustly disagree with you. And I think there's a lot to go [54:51] through there. But I just do not believe that that is accurate from what I have seen with my own eyes. [54:56] And I'll still put that out there. So anybody wants to get a certified lie detector and put me on it, [55:02] put those folks that said they saw all this on it, and we'll see what happens. With that, without [55:08] objection, all their opening statements will be included in the record. We will now introduce [55:12] today's witnesses, Mr. Andrew R. Arthur. Mr. Arthur is a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center [55:19] for Immigration Studies. He previously served as a staffer to this committee, the Oversight Committee, [55:27] and as an immigration judge with the Department of Justice. Mr. Art DeQueto. I said that correctly, right? [55:35] Mr. DeQueto is a border security advisor at the Federation for American Immigration Reform. He [55:41] previously served for more than two decades as a border patrol agent. Always good to hear from people on [55:48] the ground who really have seen and heard it. Mr. Scott Makowski. Mr. Makowski is a retired law [55:54] enforcement officer who served more than 24 years with what was then called the Immigration and [56:00] Naturalization Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When he retired, Mr. Makowski was [56:07] serving as the deputy director of ICE in New York City. And Mr. I want to try to say it right, Amal Sina. Good. [56:16] Mr. Sina is the executive director of the ACLU New Jersey. He previously worked at the Innocence Project [56:22] and with the New York Civil Liberties Union. We will begin by swearing you all in. Please rise. [56:33] Raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony you are about [56:40] to give is true and correct to the best of your knowledge, information, and beliefs? So help you God. [56:46] Thank you. Let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be [56:52] seated. Please know that your written testimony will be entered into the record in its entirety. [56:58] Accordingly, we ask you summarize your testimony in five minutes. Mr. Makowski, you may begin. [57:04] Chairman Van Drew, Ranking Member Crockett, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for this [57:11] opportunity to appear in front of you today. For more than 24 years, I served in the federal [57:16] government with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Legacy Immigration Naturalization Service. [57:23] I retired as a deputy director in New York City in 2018. I ran detention centers during that time in [57:30] ICE. I personally managed hunger strikes in custody in medical emergencies, and I also oversaw correctional [57:39] facility inspections. I spent more than three decades in the U.S. Army, including as a non-commissioned [57:45] officer in charge of a theater internment facility in Camp Cropper, Baghdad. I ran a detention facility [57:53] in a war zone. So when I tell you how a place like Delaney Hall actually works, I'm not theorizing. I'm [58:01] describing what I did for a living, the views that I offer on my own, and they are not of ICE. Let me start [58:09] with what the critics have been driving this hearing will not say out loud. Detention standards are not [58:14] aspirational. Delaney Hall runs under enforceable national detention standards that are inspected, [58:21] audited, by multiple entities, and written down. When a detainee declares a hunger strike, [58:28] there's nothing left for the officer's discretion. It triggers a written protocol. Medical referrals, [58:37] daily monitoring, weigh-ins, a paper trail at every step. The facts are all available to you. They're written [58:45] down. Congress can conduct oversight to reveal the real truth. Instead of manufacturing hoaxes for [58:53] partisan gain, the record will not support the allegations that brought us here today. And I'll [58:59] start with the hunger strike. DHS reported that commissary sales at Delaney Hall nearly tripled while [59:05] it was supposedly underway, from $11,500 the week before May 26th to more than $30,000 the week before [59:14] January 1st. People who are starving themselves in protest do not triple commissary spending. It [59:21] is not a hunger strike when the detainee refuses meals at chow time, only stuff his face with hot [59:27] Cheetos and Twinkies in his dormitory at night. Taking overcrowding. When social unrest started outside [59:35] Delaney Hall, the claims of overcrowding fed that false narrative and contributed to the anger. Delaney [59:40] halls built for 1,000 beds. The population on that day was 766 on May 25th. When these claims first [59:50] serviced, it fell to 521 detainees by June 15th. That's barely half full. Take the food. New Jersey [1:00:00] State Health Inspection June 8th found the kitchen sanitary, satisfactory, no evidence of rodents or vermin. [1:00:07] The menu accommodates religious diets. The Bordazar showed up unannounced and ate the same meal served [1:00:13] the detainees every day and stated it was fine. Let's take the history of Delaney Hall. This building [1:00:20] operated as an ICE detention site from 2011 to 2017. New Jersey's leaders said nothing. The standards [1:00:27] haven't changed. The building hasn't changed. What changed is who sits in the White House. The double [1:00:33] standard runs deeper. Last year, 33 people died in ICE facilities nationwide. In New Jersey's own prisons, [1:00:41] an average of 48 die every single year. From 2018 to 2024, yet no one marched outside any one of those [1:00:49] state prisons. And this is never about conditions at Delaney Hall. And it's not about the money. Because [1:00:57] New Jersey has never minded the state collected taking our money. The state has collected more [1:01:03] than four million dollars fiscally in 2024 to hold criminal aliens in its own Department of Corrections [1:01:10] and roughly 5.8 million dollars in state criminal aliens assistance programs. Delaney Hall also supports [1:01:18] 300 union jobs, which brings an estimated 50 million dollars in the local economy activity. And the owners of the [1:01:27] facility pay property taxes to the city of Newark. And they're steep. The state cashes every single [1:01:34] check. Then it drives to the gate for the cameras. And what gets sold to the public as a peaceful [1:01:41] protest is really nothing else. It's a coordinated activity meant to obstruct federal law enforcement [1:01:47] and to cease operations. Newark has told its own police not to respond to calls of Delaney Hall. [1:01:53] The Americans working inside that facility are taxpayers. They live and work in Newark and Essex [1:01:59] County and are being denied police protection for doing a lawful job. The men and women at Delaney [1:02:05] Hall enforce the laws that this Congress wrote under the standards strickers in any American jail [1:02:10] that hold American citizens. They deserve better and to be used as props. So let's do facts. [1:02:17] This is a tell on how the critics operate. Senator Booker announced his visit on social media. [1:02:23] Senator Kim came for a meeting. Congressman Robin Endes and Congressman Watson Coleman turned the [1:02:28] anniversary of their own visit into a bill signing and roll out video in front of Delaney Hall. [1:02:34] Congressman McIvor is currently under federal indictment on three counts, including two felonies [1:02:41] for allegedly assaulted and impeded federal law enforcement officers at this facility. [1:02:44] Mr. McCoskey, I'm so sorry, but your time has expired. If you can just wrap it up in a sentence or two. [1:02:49] Yep. Well, I want to take the moment and stop this and say, when you want a moment, [1:02:55] you bring a podium and a camera. Let's stop with the theatrics. And I look forward to your questions. [1:03:03] Thank you for your service, Mr. McCoskey. Mr. Del Cueto, you may begin. [1:03:09] Chairman Van Drew, Ranking Member Crockett and members of the subcommittee. [1:03:16] Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. It is a privilege to be here. [1:03:20] My name is Art Del Cueto. I spent my career on the front lines of immigration enforcement and also [1:03:24] served as a corrections officer in the state of Arizona. I now am a border security advisor for the [1:03:30] Federation for American Immigration Reform, and I'm here today because what is happening [1:03:33] at Delaney Hall is part of something much larger and far more sinister than any facility in Newark. [1:03:39] For four years, the Biden administration operated a deliberate anti-border policy [1:03:43] enabling millions of illegal aliens to enter our country. Between fiscal year 2021 and 2024, [1:03:48] CBP encountered more than 170,000 illegal aliens with criminal warrants or convictions at our borders. [1:03:55] On top of that, nearly 2,000 suspected terrorists and over 1.7 million special [1:04:00] interest aliens from countries posing potential national risks were encountered. Illegal aliens [1:04:06] who should have been detained in facilities like Delaney Hall and removed were instead released into [1:04:11] the American communities. The consequences were devastating and could have been avoided. Sheridan [1:04:16] Gorman, Jocelyn Nungarai, and Lake and Riley, among others, were killed by illegal aliens that should have [1:04:23] been in detention facilities instead of roaming the streets. And while violent crime is the most visible [1:04:29] consequence of illegal immigration, it is far from the only one. Illegal immigrants impose considerable [1:04:35] costs on every American taxpayer, every American renter, and every American worker competing for [1:04:40] employment in the sectors most affected by illegal alien labor. Not to mention the enormous strain on our [1:04:45] public benefits. The Trump administration is now working to reverse that damage by strengthening and [1:04:50] expanding detention capacity. And these efforts are working, which is exactly why these anti-border [1:04:56] radicals are increasingly desperate. The allegations against Delaney Hall simply do not hold up to the [1:05:01] facts. During the period when a hunger strike was claimed to be going on, commissary sales at that facility [1:05:07] surged 161 percent. White House boarders are Tom Holman visited unannounced and ate the same food as detainees and [1:05:14] reported they were ordering from the commissary in their cells. The facts are that ICE provides three [1:05:20] dietician approved meals a day on site, medical care, and access to family and counseling. And it's not only [1:05:27] activists spreading these lies. It's elected officials and members of Congress. In May 2025, New York Mayor [1:05:33] Ras Baraka was arrested after attempting to force his way into Delaney Hall facility. Congresswoman [1:05:39] LaMonica McKeever was also charged following the incident. Many more have repeated their calls to abolish ICE. [1:05:45] New Jersey Governor Mike Sherrill was forced to acknowledge that the extreme elements in these protests [1:05:50] and that many of the so-called protesters were not even from New Jersey. In response to her call [1:05:55] for demonstrators to bring the temperature down, the Democratic Socialists of America, New Jersey [1:06:01] chapter, and the Climate Revolution Action Network of New Jersey responded by declaring, [1:06:05] we're going to turn up the noise. The goal of these movements are clear. DSA supports abolishing ICE [1:06:12] and the end of all immigration detention. New York City Mayor supports abolishing ICE. Sitting members of [1:06:18] Congress also agree. Make no mistake, the radical anti-border crowd is increasingly setting the agenda. [1:06:24] These are not reasonable critiques or policy alternatives. They are blatant attacks on the [1:06:28] U.S. sovereignty and immigration enforcement itself. This type of rhetoric from our elected officials [1:06:33] not only raises the temperature, it emboldens protesters into confrontations and incites more [1:06:38] violence. Continuing to liken ICE officers to Nazis will continue to lead to the radical taking matters [1:06:44] into their own hands. Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, DHS has documented [1:06:50] 1,300% increase in assaults on ICE agents, 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and 8,000% increase [1:06:59] in death threats. Why are these radical activists and politicians targeting Delaney Hall and other [1:07:04] detention facilities? It's simple. Detention works. More illegal aliens are opting for voluntary departure, [1:07:11] and border crossings have dropped dramatically since President Trump took over office. Without [1:07:16] detention, the message to every would-be border crosser is that there are no consequences. The [1:07:21] smear campaign against Delaney Hall is part of a broader assault on immigration enforcement and on [1:07:27] the men and women in uniform, like those who I proudly served with in the United States Border Patrol. [1:07:32] They are tasked with carrying out the job that Congress gave them through their immigration laws. [1:07:38] I encourage Congress to stand with the men and women of ICE and the men and women of Border Patrol [1:07:42] and support them in doing their jobs, not incite more violence. Thank you again for this opportunity. [1:07:48] I look forward to your questions. Thank you for your service. And we will now move to Mr. Arthur. [1:07:58] Chairman Van Drew, Ranking Member Crockett, Ranking Member Raskett, Mr. Johnson, thank you for inviting [1:08:04] me here today. First, a confession. I've never been to Delaney Hall, and I've never toured the facility to [1:08:10] assess any of the allegations that have been made about it. That said, for more than eight years, [1:08:15] including six as a staffer for this committee, I exercised oversight jurisdiction over ICE detention [1:08:21] facilities and visited many. In addition, I served for an additional eight years as an immigration [1:08:27] judge at the York County Prison in Pennsylvania, which contracted with ICE for detention space. [1:08:33] I walked the facility, I ate in the dining hall, and I worked out in the wait room. Consequently, [1:08:39] I am intimately familiar with how ICE detains aliens and the national detention standards [1:08:45] under which it operates. As the Third Circuit described it last year, the elephant in the room [1:08:50] today is the fact that state and local officials in New Jersey oppose immigration detention in the [1:08:56] Garden State. First, the legislature enacted AB 5207 to prohibit entities there from contracting with [1:09:04] ICE to run detention facilities. The Third Circuit subsequently concluded that this law, as applied to [1:09:12] ICE's Elizabeth detention facility, was an improper attempt to, quote, dictate the manner in which the [1:09:18] federal immigration function is carried out, close quote, in a violation of the doctrine of [1:09:23] intergovernmental immunity. Such efforts have continued, however, and shortly after GEO announced it would be [1:09:29] opening Delaney Hall for ICE detention. The mayor vowed to padlock, quote, unquote, the facility and then [1:09:35] the city sued GEO complaining Delaney Hall didn't receive proper permits and local officials had been [1:09:41] denied access. GEO was requested the case be dismissed because ICE wasn't added as a party, but in any event, [1:09:48] it appears city inspectors have subsequently been allowed access. Nonetheless, in June, the state sued GEO [1:09:55] contending health inspectors had been denied, quote, full access, close quote, to Delaney Hall when they arrived in [1:10:01] response to conditions there. In response, DOJ complained about the politicization of the issue while also [1:10:08] contending ICE has, quote, authorized access to the facility for a reasonable and appropriate inspection [1:10:14] pursuant to the state's written request, close quote. Both cases are ongoing, but key [1:10:21] constitutional federal doctrines, as I laid out in my written testimony, will govern the court's [1:10:26] resolution of each. Most notable is what I talked about before, intergovernmental immunity, [1:10:32] a principle under which state attempts to regulate the federal government directly or state actions [1:10:37] that discriminate against the U.S. government or those with whom it deals are invalid. While those [1:10:43] doctrines may invalidate state action, they cannot and should not restrict federal oversight, [1:10:49] including and especially congressional oversight. Such oversight, as I explained at the outset, [1:10:55] was my stock in trade for more than eight years. But both my bosses and I were, some of whom are [1:11:03] surrounding us today, were always conscious of performing it in such a way so as not to impede [1:11:09] the very functions that we were investigating. That was particularly true when it came to immigration [1:11:14] detention. The security of facilities and the safety of the officers and detainees therein was always [1:11:22] paramount. And I was always willing to comply with reasonable restrictions imposed on me when touring [1:11:28] the facilities. And I continue to believe, with due respect, that is the appropriate policy. Skepticism, [1:11:34] of course, is the best policy when conducting oversight. And there is always a danger that what Congress [1:11:39] is being told isn't the full truth. There are, however, numerous safeguards built into the system to ensure that [1:11:47] problems aren't hidden and the legislative branch is not deceived. By my count, five congressional [1:11:53] committees oversee ICE detention. To say nothing of the DHS inspector general, other internal watchdogs, [1:12:01] Office of Professional Responsibility, etc., the Government Accountability Office, the media, [1:12:07] and internal whistleblowers. Moreover, ICE's detention standards are contractual and as enforceable as any [1:12:14] contract. And the agency expects performance. I understand that many oppose immigration detention. [1:12:21] But I'll also note that the first law passed this Congress was the Lake and Riley Act, which mandated [1:12:27] detention and empowered the states to sue to ensure it occurs. You can understand why ICE officers in New [1:12:35] Jersey and elsewhere feel like they're getting whipsawed by this body. Finally, even if local politicians [1:12:44] successfully forced ICE detention out of New Jersey, that doesn't mean aliens would be released. Instead, [1:12:51] they'd be sent far away from their families and their lawyers, and that would not make their cases [1:12:56] or their plights any easier. Again, I thank you for your time, and I look forward to your questions, [1:13:03] and I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Arthur. Mr. Siena, you may begin. Chairman Van Deru, Ranking Member Crockett, [1:13:12] Committee Chair Jordan, Ranking Member Raskin, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the [1:13:16] opportunity to speak today. My name is Amol Siena. I lead the ACLU of New Jersey. For over 105 years, [1:13:23] the ACLU has fought against abuses of power for and for the civil rights and liberties of all Americans [1:13:30] under both Democratic and Republican administrations alike. We've represented individuals and institutions [1:13:36] across the ideological spectrum, recently including a supporter of President Trump's in New Jersey, [1:13:42] the NRA, Black Lives Matter leaders, students, veterans, and many more, all with one common goal, [1:13:49] to uphold the promises of the Constitution. I'm here today to share what people in New Jersey and [1:13:55] across the country are facing at the hands of an agency that has acted with no accountability for far [1:14:00] too long. In just the past two weeks, two fathers were shot dead by ICE agents. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo [1:14:07] was gunned down in the streets of Houston. Johann Sebastian Duran Guerrero was killed outside his [1:14:12] family's apartment in Maine, his three-year-old daughter nearby still in her bluey pajamas. These [1:14:19] killings happened in broad daylight in front of witnesses with cell phone cameras rolling. And this [1:14:23] is what happens when the whole country is watching. What confidence can we possibly have behind the locked [1:14:29] doors of a facility like Delaney Hall? I want to address the premise of this hearing directly. Its title [1:14:35] suggests that reports of maltreatment at Delaney Hall are a false narrative. That claim does not [1:14:40] survive contact with the record. The people detained at Delaney Hall have told us in their own words, [1:14:45] and I quote, they tell us we have no rights here. I met with an individual recently detained there. [1:14:51] When he arrived, the food smelled so rancid he didn't eat for three days. When he finally ate to avoid [1:14:57] starving, he was in severe pain. He asked a guard for a doctor. The guard said that he only spoke English [1:15:03] and couldn't help. It took seven more days for a doctor to finally see him. And by the time he was [1:15:09] released, the pain was so severe that he ended up in the hospital for a week requiring surgery for a [1:15:15] serious GI condition that he developed while in detention. I wish I could tell you that his case [1:15:20] was unusual, but I could sit here and tell you about the man denied his wheelchair for 40 days. The 18-year-old [1:15:27] denied the ability to finish high school on time. The husband, who lost so much weight that even lying [1:15:33] down became physically painful. This is the pattern, the lack of access to medical care, the coercion [1:15:39] to sign purportedly voluntary departure agreements, the unsanitary conditions and inedible food, the [1:15:45] broken air conditioning in 100 degree temperatures. Every person I've spoken with, every letter that has [1:15:50] come out of that facility tells some version of a similar account. When these individuals saw no other [1:15:56] option, hundreds of them engaged in the hunger and labor strike for weeks to call attention to the [1:16:01] injustices. And I think we can all agree on a simple truth. No one should have to starve themselves [1:16:09] for the government to recognize their humanity. In turn, ICE responded with pepper spray, solitary [1:16:17] confinement and punitive transfers. People are dying at these facilities at an alarming rate. More than 50 [1:16:24] people have died in ICE custody under this administration, the deadliest period on record. John [1:16:28] Wilson Brutus died in ICE custody after one day of being detained at Delaney Hall. ICE is sending a [1:16:34] chilling message to every family in New Jersey and across the country. Being an immigrant and exercising [1:16:40] your solidarity with immigrants is unsafe. The Trump administration has told us repeatedly that ICE is [1:16:46] going after the worst criminal offenders and claims that who's detained in facility like Delaney Hall are [1:16:52] exactly those folks. In fact, this administration's own data undercuts that false narrative. Over 70 percent [1:17:00] of the people held at Delaney Hall have no criminal history whatsoever. Nearly 90 percent have no criminal [1:17:05] conviction. Eighty-four percent don't have a final order of removal. We're spending billions of taxpayer [1:17:10] dollars detaining people who pose no threat to the public, while Geo Group pockets over 60 million [1:17:16] dollars a year from Delaney Hall alone. Delaney Hall is not an outlier. This year alone, there have been at least [1:17:21] six other hunger strikes in ICE facilities nationwide. When you pour billions of dollars into a detention [1:17:27] infrastructure that's already riddled with abuse with no oversight, it comes at a human cost. A people [1:17:33] who participated in the hunger strike at Delaney Hall put their bodies on the line. We must act now. [1:17:39] If this subcommittee is truly concerned about the narrative around Delaney Hall, there's a simple fix. [1:17:46] End the cover-up by ICE and the Geo Group. If you want the truth about what's happening at Delaney Hall [1:17:51] in every facility like it, open it up to independent, unannounced, uncensored oversight, allow the press [1:17:57] in, allow members of Congress in, allow advocacy organizations in for full access, pass the Dignity [1:18:04] for Detained Immigrants Act, and conduct oversight as members of Congress are empowered to do. [1:18:09] Thank you and I look forward to your questions. Thank you for your testimony. I will yield five minutes [1:18:15] to myself. It's come to my attention, you know, Martin Soto. Some of you should know that name. He's the [1:18:21] gentleman who led the hunger strike. Some folks were making him out to be a hero. The self-sacrificial [1:18:28] man who loved America so much and these poor immigrants and so forth. So we have just gotten some [1:18:36] information about him and everybody can check this out. It's all accurate. You know, he was a Peruvian [1:18:40] nationally, but supposedly picked up while purchasing some diapers, according to his wife. Well, here's [1:18:48] the real deal. The documents that was obtained by the committee on February 2nd, Soto was incarcerated [1:18:56] at Hudson County Correctional Center in Kearney, New Jersey, which is just outside Newark, New Jersey. [1:19:02] Soto was arrested by Kearney police the previous day on February 1st, 2026, for a charge of domestic [1:19:09] violence. He committed assault, purposely causing bodily injury, specifically by using his hands [1:19:17] open and closed to strike his wife in the face, causing scratches and cuts to her face and neck. [1:19:24] He also placed a hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream while she was being beaten. He ain't my hero. [1:19:31] It's not what I call a hero. It's the guy who led the hunger strike. And that's the point I want to make, [1:19:36] man. I just think that folks are on the wrong, some folks, my friends to the left, physically and [1:19:44] actually, I guess, philosophically here, I think they're on the wrong side of this. I really do. [1:19:50] I mean, there are good people and people that aren't so good. I'm getting real basic here. Bad [1:19:56] people need to be incarcerated. We need to keep good families and good people safe. The chairman just, [1:20:03] you know, listed a whole number of people we can go through. I don't want to bore you of all [1:20:07] the families, people just like you, men and women and children that have been hurt, lives lost. [1:20:16] It's horrible. Why are we, why is it always that the other side is on their side? I don't get it. [1:20:24] I sincerely, I do not get it. I don't understand it. But for one, I'm not going to tolerate it, [1:20:31] because it's wrong. So I want to just, you know, segue a little bit into something else, but it's all [1:20:37] related because we all hear all this anti-law enforcement, no more ICE, no more law enforcement. [1:20:46] There are some of those now on the other side of the aisle. I'm not saying these folks here, [1:20:50] but there are people that want to abolish ICE completely, want to abolish law enforcement, [1:20:54] abolish prisons, abolish corrections. You all, and I'm going to ask the three of you, and if you want [1:21:01] to answer, you can too. It's going to be very quick answers because I'm used up a lot of time already. [1:21:05] The July 20th attack outside 26 Federal Plaza, does that reflect an increasing threat to federal [1:21:12] immigration facilities and the personnel who work there, who I feel sorry for? In other words, [1:21:18] these folks are at risk. They're just doing their job. They're the good guys. They're being responsible, [1:21:23] trying to do their job, and they're at risk of violent attack, in my opinion. Mr. Makowski, in a few words. [1:21:29] Thank you, Chairman. Yes, 100 percent. Everybody knows the 26 Federal Plaza houses ICE and other [1:21:37] federal agencies, and just an example of what we dealt with every day in New York City. [1:21:42] And we've got people in leadership that fire these people up that go over there [1:21:47] and cause all this havoc and hurt other people in law enforcement. I mean, it's hard to be at any [1:21:53] level of law enforcement these days. It's even hard for the—I spoke to some of the state troopers, [1:21:59] and they can't say anything on the record. In New Jersey, they were doing a great job. And because [1:22:04] the left didn't want them there anymore, they were doing a great job, and everybody was working [1:22:07] together. ICE was safe. They were safe. The people inside were safe. They were pulled away because they [1:22:13] didn't want that, wanted chaos. Mr. Del Cueto. Yes, sir. Absolutely. That and other attacks that have also [1:22:20] happened at ICE facilities in the last several months are a direct result of that. The words we use, [1:22:27] the inflammatory rhetoric. God help us. Mr. Arthur, quickly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, you know, [1:22:34] I will refer back to the 100-year sentence that was handed out for the mastermind of the attack at the [1:22:39] Alvarado Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas. You know, these are serious crimes. They're a danger. [1:22:47] When I served, I was threatened. I could talk about it in a more private setting if you'd like. But yeah, [1:22:55] it's a real problem. It's always been a real problem. And— And it's getting worse. [1:22:59] It's getting worse. Yep. Mr. Seahaw, quickly, just to show I'm fair. [1:23:04] Uh, Chairman, look, whenever somebody conducts a violent act, they were held accountable by the [1:23:09] criminal legal system. I don't think it has to do with the words being used by— [1:23:13] I don't— forgive me, but I don't believe that. I believe politics enters into it. I don't think [1:23:18] they're always held liable. It depends where the process takes place. And in some of these blue [1:23:25] cities and blue localities, they're not held responsible. And they're made out to be heroes. [1:23:32] Violence against law enforcement has become popular. And it's wrong. And I'm tired of it. I think most [1:23:39] Americans are too. Um, and I'm over my time. With that, I will— Ranking Member, remind me who's— [1:23:47] Yes, Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson, the gentleman from Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think Americans [1:23:53] are getting tired of seeing each other shot down in the streets by rogue, renegade, reckless ICE agents. [1:24:03] And this hearing, uh, is entitled False Narratives Surrounding Conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention [1:24:11] Center. That was the topic of the discussion today. Uh, what we got from, uh, Mr. Arthur is a dissertation [1:24:20] on the, uh, restrictions on state regulation of, uh, federal functions. I'm gonna read your paper, [1:24:27] uh, tonight as I put myself to sleep. Thank you, Mr. Johnson. And, um, and then, uh, not a single witness [1:24:35] in here has testified that, uh, it's false that, um, you know, what's happening at, uh, Delaney Hall are [1:24:46] overcrowded cells crammed with inmates. Not a single Republican witness refuted that. Not a single [1:24:56] Republican, uh, Republican witness commented about the denial of access to toilets and clean drinking [1:25:03] water at Delaney Hall. Nobody talked about food being adulterated and unedible at Delaney Hall. Not a [1:25:15] single Republican MAGA witness testified about the denial of medical care to, uh, detainees. And so, [1:25:25] the only person who testified about that was Mr. Sinha, and he told us of the horrors of what's going [1:25:32] on, uh, inside Delaney Hall. And, and I suspect that, uh, the chairman, when he took his visit, [1:25:42] he announced ahead of time that he was going. And so what did they do? They rolled out the red carpet [1:25:48] for him and showed him exactly what they wanted him to see, and then probably fed him a steak dinner [1:25:55] afterwards with a glass of champagne and a cigar. And so today he is here to tell you about what's [1:26:02] going on at Delaney Hall. But I would, I would, uh, exclaim to you that perhaps you should call my [1:26:10] colleague LaMonica MacGyver, who is sitting here with us today, about six or seven months, uh, pregnant. [1:26:17] She and her husband expecting their second child, having to go through the trauma of a, um, persecution by the, [1:26:25] uh, Trump, um, Justice Department, Todd Blanche Justice Department. Uh, but she's here. [1:26:34] She's been on unannounced visits, and she could tell you exactly, uh, what's happening at Delaney Hall. [1:26:41] She could back up what Mr. Sinha has, has said. But let me ask you, uh, Mr. Uh, [1:26:49] Murchowski, um, you've never worked for a for-profit, uh, corporation that runs for-profit detention [1:27:01] facilities, have you? Congressman, thanks for the question. Have you? Yes or no? No. And, um, [1:27:08] um, and when's the last time you visited Delaney Hall? When Delaney Hall? Before I retired, [1:27:14] sir. Before it closed in 2017. Yeah, that's been what? I don't know if you heard me. Almost 10 years ago. [1:27:21] What about you, uh, Mr. Del Sueto? When's the last time you visited, uh, Delaney Hall? Del [1:27:28] Cueto, sir. Del Cueto, I'm sorry. I have not visited Delaney Hall. Never in your life? No, [1:27:34] sir, but I have been at various different immigration facilities that have detained people. You have no [1:27:39] personal knowledge upon which to reasonably conclude that the reports about cruel and inhumane [1:27:46] and unusual or not unusual, uh, uh, uh, at Trump ICE facilities. You have no, uh, personal knowledge [1:27:55] upon which you can reasonably conclude that what Mr. Sinha has reported about the conditions [1:28:02] at Delaney Hall are true or false. Isn't that correct? My personal knowledge would be from seeing other [1:28:07] immigration detention facilities throughout my career. You've never been to Delaney Hall though. I [1:28:12] haven't, but I've been to numerous other immigration detention facilities. What you saw at, uh, your [1:28:17] detention facilities, were those public or private, by the way? They were both. You've always worked for [1:28:23] public, uh. No, sir. They were both private and public as well as state-run facilities. But you don't [1:28:27] know what's going on at Delaney Hall. Let me ask Mr. Sinha. Mr. Sinha, can you tell us more about, uh, the 50 [1:28:37] people who have died in ICE custody, uh, since Trump returned to office? And can you opine on the fact [1:28:46] that 2026 is already the deadliest year in immigration detention since the Department of Homeland [1:28:53] Security was founded? Thank you for the question, uh, Congressman. I'll let you answer that question [1:29:00] and then the gentleman's time has expired. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, the, uh, the number of deaths [1:29:07] is disproportionate to even the increase of, uh, detention in this country. About the, the number [1:29:14] of people detained, uh, across the country has increased by 77 percent. And also, uh, the deaths [1:29:21] in custody have detained, have increased by 300 percent. Um, so we're talking about a radical increase [1:29:27] in the number of people that are being, uh, that are killed, uh, or dying in, uh, while detained in, [1:29:33] in immigration detention. That's right. It's a, it's a shame that we are allowing that. Now, [1:29:42] GEO group group. Gentlemen, gentlemen's time is expired. But they were not called and, uh, nor were [1:29:49] ICE or Customs and Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection. The gentleman's time is expired. Nobody [1:29:54] called. Just, uh, three guys with no personal knowledge. With that, I yield back. I thank the [1:30:00] gentleman. I definitely did not get a red carpet, a cigar, champagne, or a steak dinner. But Hank, [1:30:06] you should probably do all that for me, all the aggravation you give me on this committee. [1:30:12] With that, I ask the gentleman, the chairman from the great state of Ohio. [1:30:16] Mr. Makowski, is it easier to pick up a criminal on the street or at the detention center? [1:30:23] Congressman, thank you, um, for the question. Um, it's always safer, uh, facility to facility. [1:30:30] Yeah, it is, is, is, but that's what sanctuary jurisdiction's all about. You got a detainer notice. [1:30:37] Federal government, federal law enforcement knows that the migrant in the detention center, [1:30:41] the local detention center entered the country illegally, but has, has been alleged to commit [1:30:45] some other crime. But there's a, there's a detainer notice. Hold that guy. Let us come get [1:30:49] him there instead of out on the street, right? Yes, Congressman. Yeah. And I mean, in just simple [1:30:55] terms, I, I used the term earlier, but I don't know what anyone better. This is like really just, [1:31:00] do you think it's a dumb policy, sanctuary jurisdiction? You think it's just a dumb policy [1:31:03] that these local jurisdictions have? I think it's absurd. Mr. Del Cueto? I believe it creates a [1:31:12] magnet for criminal behavior in our country. Yeah. Mr. Arthur, what do you think? Think it's [1:31:15] a bad idea? It's a horrible idea. And when I started in immigration in the, uh, mid nineties, [1:31:21] there were maybe a handful of, uh, sanctuary jurisdictions, but every cop wanted to every [1:31:26] police department wanted to hand criminals over to the INS to get them off of the street. [1:31:32] Do sanctuary jurisdictions create tension between federal, state and local law enforcement? [1:31:38] Without a doubt. Yeah. Mr. Del Cueto? Absolutely it does. [1:31:43] Mr. Makowski? Absolutely. Just look at New Jersey. He's a great example of that. Yeah. [1:31:48] And, and that doesn't help. All of this doesn't help. And I think some of you already talked about [1:31:54] the safety concerns for law enforcement, for the public, and frankly, for the migrant, right? [1:32:03] Jeopardizing the safety of everyone when you have these policies in place. [1:32:08] You all agree with that? Yeah. Yes, Congressman. And yet we have, [1:32:15] again, we did the research, almost a third of the country, 31 and a half percent of the country, [1:32:18] because you've got 18 big blue cities, 18 big, or 11 big blue states. You have this thing, [1:32:23] and we've actually seen it play out. Denver, Colorado, illegal migrant who had committed another [1:32:28] crime in the detention center. The notice gets sent to them, the detention center, [1:32:32] will you hold this migrant until we get there? They stamp on the form, no, [1:32:36] we're going to release agent was hurt while apprehending this individual on the street. [1:32:40] Again, just ridiculous didn't need to happen. So again, we're going to keep talking about this. Oh, [1:32:46] and the real concern too, is that the ICE agent was hurt there, but the situations where [1:32:52] it could have been prevented, the person is released to the streets, and then they go harm, [1:32:57] in some cases, kill American citizens. And frankly, if that happens in, [1:33:04] over in Fairfax County, Mr. Descano will take into account the person's immigration status. It's [1:33:10] right in his policy when deciding what to charge that individual with, just adding insult to injury, [1:33:17] adding dumbness on top of dumbness. I mean, it's just like, that is crazy. So this is something that [1:33:22] just has to change in the country. We talk about having safer streets and everything else for the [1:33:26] public. This is just, it's just so, so wrong. And I think it's all part of the left's plan. Let in 10 million, [1:33:34] as I said earlier, create sanctuary jurisdictions. Don't fund people like Mr. Mikowski, ICE agents, [1:33:40] who go out there and enforce the law, and then have prosecutors who do their ridiculous charging [1:33:45] and plea bargain decisions, and create this unsafe environment. That is what the left wants today, [1:33:51] and that's what they're carrying out. And again, it makes absolutely no sense. I want to thank the [1:33:57] chairman for his good work on overseeing this, and calling attention to what's going on at Delaney [1:34:02] Center, where the left has said all these terrible things are happening, but he's visited there and [1:34:06] just hasn't seen it. And I'll yield the last minute back to the chairman of the subcommittee for [1:34:12] any questions or comments he has. I want to thank you, and I think the chairman of the full committee [1:34:17] makes a good point, and really to focus in in plain English what people so they understand it. Because [1:34:26] we have sanctuary cities, states, jurisdictions. We let people out onto the streets, some of whom are [1:34:34] violent, dangerous felons, get out. We don't cooperate with ICE. Therefore, ICE finds itself in the middle [1:34:43] of dangerous situations where the illegal can get hurt, they can get hurt, or just people that are involved [1:34:51] can get hurt. That's where the real fault is. If we did everything the right way, which you all are [1:34:56] willing to do, we wouldn't have the issue. And quite frankly, that's why so many of the problems are in [1:35:03] blue jurisdictions. We should have never let these people out. And I also would say Delaney Hall are not [1:35:09] just a bunch of nice people. There may be some in there who aren't felons, but there are absolutely [1:35:15] felons, drug dealers, rapists, violent people that are held there. We don't want them outside. And also, [1:35:25] by the way, speaking about the conditions there, the inspector general in New Jersey inspected the [1:35:32] facilities, the state facilities in New Jersey, far worse. They have to stand while they eat. Crowded [1:35:39] conditions, temperatures that go into the 90s. But nobody says anything about them because it's a blue [1:35:46] jurisdiction. It just isn't fair. And what's good for one should be good for the other. With that, [1:35:52] I have a few UCs that I want to put in for the record from some local media. Delaney Hall menu options. [1:35:59] Delaney Hall's menu options better than many Jersey school lunch choices. Fajitas, stir-fry, barbecue [1:36:06] chicken. See the food options provided to Delaney Hall. That was nj.com. This is the New York Post. [1:36:15] Inspectors finally got into the kitchen at Ices Delaney Hall. Here's what they found, [1:36:20] and it details the good conditions there. It's also newjersey.com. The final test borders are Tom [1:36:27] Holman ate the same meal as the detainees ate, and he did just fine. Delaney Hall snack purchases [1:36:35] cast doubt on what was supposed to be a real hunger strike in reports. And that was [1:36:43] also, I believe, I'm trying to see what that was. Fox News. Fox News. Thank you. Okay. With that being [1:36:52] said, I think we are next. I'm going to recognize the ranking member of the full committee. Thank you, [1:36:57] kindly, Mr. Chairman. I think you just went over two minutes and 25 seconds, so I'd appreciate a similar [1:37:01] courtesy for myself. That means he's going to talk a lot. You've translated properly. Look, there's some [1:37:08] things that we can all agree on here. We should take violent attacks on the police extremely seriously [1:37:16] and reject it in every circumstance. Mr. McCaskey, you've spoken passionately against violent assault [1:37:21] on the police. Do you think it's a good idea to pardon felons convicted of violently assaulting [1:37:26] police officers without looking at their individual criminal record or the threat that they may still [1:37:31] oppose to society? I'm sorry, Congressman. Can you just repeat the question? Do you think it's a good [1:37:39] idea to pardon convicted felons who were convicted of violently assaulting police officers without [1:37:45] consulting either their prior criminal history or the chances that they will reoffend? Sir, that's up to [1:37:53] the courts. I don't. Do you have no position on that? How about you, Mr. Del Corte? Do you think that's a good [1:37:58] idea? That would be up to the court, sir, and it would be possibly a case-by-case basis. Okay. Mr. Arthur, [1:38:04] what do you think about that? Because it's a pardon, it's not actually up to the courts. It would [1:38:09] be up to the executive in the state. Normally, I would argue against that, but I also think I know [1:38:15] where your question's going. So, yes, I would oppose. All right. Mr. Senan, what do you think about [1:38:20] pardoning violent offenders who attack the police, brutalizing them in many cases, without consulting [1:38:27] their prior criminal history or the chances that they'll reoffend? I think there has to be a thorough [1:38:32] review of the facts of a certain person's background. Individualized review or just in [1:38:37] general? Individualized review. You know, I agree with clemency as a tool and the executives should [1:38:44] use clemency frequently, but there has to be a review. The chairman said, violence against law [1:38:49] enforcement is wrong. I'm sick of it and we can't tolerate it. And I agree with that. But President [1:38:54] Trump pardoned more than 1500 people, hundreds of whom had violently assaulted our police officers, [1:38:59] brutalizing them, injuring them, giving them traumatic brain injuries, concussions, heart attacks, [1:39:05] strokes, without looking at a single one's individualized records, just pardoning them, [1:39:09] all of them en masse. And guess what? 97 of them have already gone on to reoffend today. They've been [1:39:16] convicted of, so far, child sexual assault, home invasion, production of child pornography, [1:39:22] conspiracy to murder an FBI agent, kidnapping, reckless homicide, domestic violence by strangulation, [1:39:28] stalking, drug trafficking, burglary, and a lot more. I don't have time to get into all of them. [1:39:33] One guy, Andrew Paul Johnson, this guy was still in prison. Trump pardoned him, gave him [1:39:39] clemency. He got out of prison and a few weeks later went and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy [1:39:45] and a 12-year-old girl and then tried to stop them from reporting him by saying he would give them [1:39:50] some of the money that he gets from Donald Trump because he's Jay Sixler and they're all going to get [1:39:54] millions of dollars. So just to give you a sense of what's going on out there. So for those people [1:39:59] who are categorically denouncing violence against the police, I'd like you guys to take that to heart [1:40:04] and talk to some of the Capitol officers who are protecting us here today. You'll see them on your [1:40:09] way out. Well, look, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was a 52-year-old construction worker, an immigrant who [1:40:16] lived in Houston for 35 years. He had no criminal record, no charges, no arrests. In July 7th, he left [1:40:22] home to pick up his brother and two co-workers to go work at a construction site of an American [1:40:26] business. ICE agents in two unmarked cars looking for someone else saw him and without turning on [1:40:33] any lights or without any indication of who they were, began chasing his van. So they surrounded his [1:40:41] vehicle and attempted to force him off the road. Moments later, an ICE agent who was not wearing a body [1:40:47] camera fired through Mr. Salgado's passenger side window, killing the father of three. Mr. Salgado [1:40:55] had no record. He was not subject to a detention order. He was trying to go to work. Now, Mr. Mikowski, [1:41:02] you worked for ICE. You trained officers. Is it ever acceptable for ICE agents to pursue a vehicle [1:41:07] in an unmarked car without using their lights or sirens? Do you know the rules on that? [1:41:11] Sir, so since I retired, policies may have changed, but I don't believe the policy pursuits were [1:41:21] allowed. Yeah, it's in the ICE field manual. I've got the regulation right here, 8 CFR 287.8, saying [1:41:28] that a designated pursuit vehicle is defined only as a vehicle equipped with emergency lights and siren [1:41:34] placed in or on the vehicle that emit audible and visual signals. They didn't have that. And now this [1:41:39] father of three is dead. Six days later, Johann Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old father, [1:41:47] left his home across the country in Biddeford, Maine to go to work to support his young family. [1:41:52] He didn't get far. ICE agents driving an unmarked SUV rammed his vehicle, surrounded his car with guns [1:41:58] drawn, and shot him in the head in front of his three-year-old daughter. And again, they weren't looking [1:42:03] for him. They were going to look for somebody else, but they saw him and then chased him down and shot him [1:42:08] in front of his daughter. She watched as ICE agents handcuffed her father's lifeless body to the [1:42:15] steering wheel. The agent who killed him wasn't wearing a body camera. What's more, he had a history [1:42:21] of serious domestic violence, and he'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He once threw boiling water in [1:42:28] the face of his ex-wife, his first wife, while she was holding their child. His wife testified that he [1:42:35] was a danger to the society, and yet he was armed and deputized by ICE to go out and terrify people. [1:42:44] Mr. Del Cueto, you served as a Border Patrol agent for 20 years. Should DHS be doing a background check [1:42:51] screen for a history of domestic violence and psychiatric illness? They do thorough background [1:42:57] investigations. If something doesn't get reported, however, that's— Wait, no, my question is, [1:43:03] should they do one? They do one already. No, they did not do one in this case. It did not happen. [1:43:07] So that did not happen, but it should happen. But it is typical now of ICE's hiring practices. Bring [1:43:14] everybody in, just like Donald Trump's parties. We don't care really what your background is. [1:43:20] Clothe you with the power of the federal government, turning our society upside down, turning Americans [1:43:26] against each other, and having our officers shoot our people, like Alex Preddy and Renee Good, dead [1:43:34] at point-blank range in the streets of America. That's what this has led to. I yield back to you, [1:43:38] Mr. Chairman. Thank you, gentlemen. And I ask—I recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee. [1:43:46] Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I just want to clarify one thing, because there is this [1:43:50] perception that is consistently put out there that if you are a Democrat, you are anti-law enforcement, [1:43:55] that you are against the police. We are not anti-law enforcement. In fact, this weekend, I will be [1:44:00] speaking at a national convention for law enforcement. So let me be clear about something. [1:44:06] The most pro-law enforcement thing that you could ever do is making sure that the bad apples are [1:44:12] absolutely treated as that, because bad officers make good officers look terrible. And that is why [1:44:19] real law enforcement has no problems when Democrats decide that they actually want to crack down and [1:44:25] recognize that even law enforcement officers can commit crimes. Because the last time I checked, [1:44:31] I don't understand who should be allowed to gun somebody down in the middle of the street, [1:44:36] not armed, and seemingly just has a little bit of melanin. And when it comes to Alex Preddy and Renee Good, [1:44:45] that wasn't even the reasons. It was the fact that they had the audacity to stand for people that had [1:44:49] melanin. So, excuse me, but we are not anti-law enforcement. Let's put that on the record. [1:44:55] Secondly, I want to deal with something that the ranking member opened up with earlier when he [1:44:59] talked about Ghislaine Maxwell. The reality is that Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted by a jury of her peers [1:45:06] and sentenced to 20 years in a federal prison. Yet somehow Ghislaine Maxwell has more privileges [1:45:12] than people who aren't accused of going out and sexually assaulting children. This is why we have a [1:45:19] problem because it seems like our colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to want to [1:45:23] protect pedophiles while at the same time going after people, most of them, who have come to this [1:45:30] country seeking a better life, seeking the America that we sell to the rest of the world, which is [1:45:34] the land of opportunity and the land of the free. That is what we have sold the world on, yet seemingly [1:45:40] that's not what's happening when they arrive when they say that in their country there is something that [1:45:45] is causing them to need to seek asylum from the harms that are taking place in their countries. [1:45:50] Now let me get to my official remarks before we have to go vote. It seems like those super PAC bands [1:45:56] are making these Republicans dance. Isn't it interesting that thousands of white people storming [1:46:01] the U.S. Capitol and beating police officers made it home safely, but brown people posing no threat [1:46:07] to ICE agents are suddenly killed in cold blood. The government pardoned those January 6 rioters, [1:46:12] yet the same government is now calling the non-white people, most of whom have no criminal record, [1:46:17] quote, terrorists and criminals. Mr. Sinha, why do you think this is? Thank you for the question, [1:46:25] Ranking Member Crockett. And I know you could talk forever, but just give me a little something. [1:46:29] Look, I think every legal system, the criminal legal system, the immigration system is rife with racial [1:46:36] injustice. We are seeing it play out in the streets every single day. People of color are being targeted [1:46:41] unfairly and unjustly while those who are white and those who have money are being let off the hook [1:46:50] repeatedly. That's been the story of America. That's been the story throughout our nation's history, [1:46:55] and it's the story that continues today. Thank you so much. To the best of your knowledge, [1:46:59] did any of the protesters at Delaney Hall brutally beat police officers with steel pipes? No. What about [1:47:07] spraying police officers with bear spray? No. What about tasing officers in the neck or stomping their [1:47:14] heads? No. Who would you rather live next to, one of the thousands of immigrants without criminal [1:47:19] records but are being targeted by ICE, or someone like David Daniel, a Trump supporter who was pardoned [1:47:25] but was found to be in possession of child pornography and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor? [1:47:30] I would rather live next to one of the thousand immigrants. Now, this Justice Department has taken the [1:47:36] unprecedented step by criminally charging Congresswoman McIver. Why do you think the [1:47:41] Republicans in Congress are louder about nonviolent immigrants without criminal records but silent about [1:47:46] the executive branch prosecuting a member of the legislative branch for conducting legitimate [1:47:51] legislative business? Thank you for bringing up the case against Ms. McIver. Look, every single member [1:47:56] of Congress should be outraged by what's happening to her, regardless of party, because they are going [1:48:02] after a Congresswoman for doing her job. And that's why we at the ACLU had filed an amicus brief in support [1:48:09] of her and calling for the charges to be dropped. They are going after a sitting Congresswoman for doing [1:48:16] her job and nothing else. And we're going to continue fighting for her. Thank you. My next question was [1:48:21] about your amicus brief, but I'll move on now because you already brought it up. We've already established [1:48:27] uh, in this hearing, um, not just in this hearing, but honestly, the American people are not crazy. The American [1:48:36] people are outraged. They're trying to pretend as if people are just going to Delaney Hall and it's simply [1:48:42] because Delaney Hall is just, I don't know, the victim in this particular set of circumstances. But no one [1:48:49] today, as we've gone through this hearing, has decided to say the name of John Brutus, a 41-year-old asylum seeker from [1:48:59] Haiti. And for those that don't know the history of what was going on in Haiti, but there was a brutal [1:49:03] overtaking of the government in Haiti. They actually had gang members that actually went in and and [1:49:11] brutally murdered their leader. There's a safety. Give me two things. There's a safety issue that has [1:49:18] taken place in Haiti. So here it was, he was an asylum seeker. December 12th, 2025, he ended up dying [1:49:26] in Delaney Hall. He had only been in Delaney Hall for one day. So while some may want to pretend as if [1:49:32] there's nothing to see, in fact, we should have had a hearing that would have allowed us to get to the [1:49:38] bottom of and potentially seek justice and make sure that other people don't die in our custody [1:49:44] in an unwarranted and unlawful way. That is what I want to do, Mr. Chairman, and I hope that we can move [1:49:50] forward with making sure that anyone who is taken into our immigration system, that they are taken in [1:49:57] and they are given their day in court and they get due process, but their constitutional rights are not [1:50:02] violated. Thank you, and I'll yield. Thank the ranking member, and that concludes today's hearing. [1:50:08] We thank our witnesses for appearing before the subcommittee today, and I mean that. [1:50:12] It's a lot of work to sit here, hear us all talk. Thank you. Appreciate you. Without objection, [1:50:18] all members will have five legislative days to submit additional written questions for the witnesses or [1:50:23] additional materials for the record, and without objection, this hearing is adjourned.