Rep. Lamar Smith on the Release of 36,000 Criminal Aliens by the Administration Last Year

The following are comments made by Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21), chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, on Friday’s Secure Freedom Radio. The entire interview may be found here.

On the Center for Immigration Studies’ document showing 36,000 criminal aliens were released from custody last year:

I did say it would be the greatest prison break in American history, but in this case it’s one being sanctioned by and perpetrated by this Obama administration. The idea that the administration would voluntarily and intentionally put criminals back on our streets, rather than deporting them or detaining them, just goes contrary to common sense. Contrary to what’s in the best interest of innocent Americans, whose lives are now going to be threatened. Among the criminals released were almost 200 murderers, and they’re back on our streets. Hundreds of individuals convicted of sex crimes. Hundreds of individuals convicted of kidnapping. Thousands of individuals convicted of drug crimes. Now they’re back out on the streets. 36,000 just last year. I don’t know what the possible explanation of the administration could be.

On the push for immigration reform in Congress:

I don’t think we should consider any immigration bill this year whatsoever. Maybe next year if we get Republican control of the Senate we can come up with a better bill, but the real problem is we’re not enforcing current immigration laws. There is no point in giving this administration any opportunity to selectively enforce future laws.

To me, even talking about immigration, talking about amnesty, is just a trap set by, frankly, Democrats and the liberal media. They want us to talk about this issue, and we don’t need to talk about this issue, because it’s certainly not an issue of great importance to Hispanic voters, for example. They rate immigration either last or next to last in the number of issues that they care about.

On the ENLIST Act:

What this does is to allow illegal immigrants in our country to enlist in the military and become legalized and then eligible for citizenship. I do not understand why we would give that great honor, being able to put on a military uniform of the United States, to individuals who may not even have any allegiance to our country. I mean, they’re here illegally, they’ve violated our laws, and suddenly we’re going to bless them and say ‘join the military and you get to be a citizen.’ What an insult to all the folks in the military now who are being told they have to leave. And here we are allowing individuals in the country illegally to apparently take their place.