Washington, D.C.—Today, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Greg Stanton (D-AZ) released the following statement after the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration will use a conference room in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters to host immigration hearings.
“FEMA helps all Americans after disasters, but by repeatedly dragging FEMA into border security—from managing ICE detention facilities to now hosting deportation hearings—DHS is eroding Americans’ trust in FEMA,” Ranking Member Larsen said. "I oppose the use of FEMA HQ for Trump’s inhumane deportation agenda.”
“Hosting immigration hearings inside FEMA headquarters during peak hurricane season tells you everything about this administration's priorities,” Ranking Member Stanton said. “They're hollowing out the agency Americans count on in their worst moments and repurposing it for Trump's mass deportation agenda. It‘s a dangerous betrayal of FEMA's mission, and families in harm's way will pay the price.”
Background
The FEMA headquarters has no listed affiliation with the Department of Justice. And, according to immigration attorneys, people were notified about a change in their hearing location within days of the newly scheduled appointments—or were not notified at all. Reports indicate a deliberate attempt by the Trump administration to cause people to miss their immigration hearings and face deportation.
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