http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=5925

Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on House Vote to Restrict Immigration Injunctions

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: (202) 282-8010
September 21, 2006

I commend the House of Representatives for passing important legislation that specifies how judges may enter injunctions that affect the Administration’s border security efforts. One effect of this legislation is staying—and hopefully speeding the elimination of—the outdated Orantes injunction, which restricts the department’s ability to place illegal immigrants from El Salvador into expedited removal proceedings. This legal impediment is the result of a 20 year-old court order based upon a civil war that no longer exits. It ties our hands, and it jeopardizes our ability to sustain last month's achievement of ending the practice of “catch and release” for all removable non-Mexican aliens apprehended along the northern and southern borders. It also more than doubles the cost to taxpayers for detaining non-Mexican aliens by forcing the department to hold Salvadorans for an average of 48 days, compared to 19 days for other non-Mexican aliens, at $95 per day.

The action taken by the House recognizes the significant progress that has been made securing our borders under the department’s Secure Border Initiative, and it reinforces a strong commitment to ensuring that our men and women enforcing immigration laws on the borders have every legal tool and resource available to them. I thank Chairman Sensenbrenner for his leadership and I look forward to continuing to work with Congress on this important effort.