Thread: VIDEO: Watch/ General Kelly Confirmation Hearing/ Immigration/Refugees/Borders

While many Americans concerned about illegal immigration and the influx of refugees from terrorist nations may have been watching or listening to the confirmation hearing of Senator Jeff Sessions, there was another important hearing today that focused on immigration, DACA, borders, refugees, Muslim outreach.

Senator Sessions, more than once today, when questioned on immigration priorities as to deportation, DACA individuals, etc. deferred to General Kelly to make these decisions. I became curious and decided to listen to the general.


The hearing of General Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security had many questions on DACA, on Muslims, on the borders, illegal immigration. The General was questioned and led by Senator Harris (former prosecutor) of California as she guided him through a compassioned spill for DACA illegal aliens. The general assured her that he would consider her statements and the assets available as in relates to who would be considered for deportation/removal.

Prior to Senator Harris' statements and questions, Senator Peters (Democrat) lamented for the Muslim community he represents, refugees. He asked about religion, registry in regards to certain people.

I have not listened to the entire hearing that includes Senator McCain speaking on the general's behalf.

To hear statements and questions from Senators Peters and Harris, go to 1:20:00 forward.

The NSEERS program used from the Bush administration forward but scraped by the Obama administration was brought up. General Kelly seemed to reject it being used as a tool in the future.

https://youtu.be/MpSRV74Kgr8

DHS Nominee John Kelly: Border Wall Alone 'Will Not Do the Job'



Greg Richter. January 10, 2017


Gen. John F. Kelly, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Homeland Security secretary, said during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that a proposed border wall alone will not stop all illegal immigration.


Building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has been a major Trump campaign theme, but it was derided by opponents, including some Republicans.



Arizona Sen. John McCain told Kelly that while the nation does need barriers, "building a wall is not the way to prevent the flow of drugs or people illegally across the border." He suggested drones and towers to help monitor the southern border.



"A physical barrier in and of itself, as a military person that understands defense and defenses . . . will not do the job," Kelly replied, suggesting instead a "layered defense."


"If you were to build a wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, you would still have to back that wall up with patrolling by human beings, sensors, observation devices," Kelly said.


He reiterated his belief that he said he has shared with senators for years that the defense of the border "starts about 1,500 miles south," partnering with countries such as Peru and Mexico to fight the illegal drug trade.


"I think we can work closely with them, give them more of what they need," Kelly said. "We certainly share intel with them, information with them now."


McCain said morale among Border Patrol agents is low, and suggested Kelly spend time with them.

"I think you know from your leadership experiences that if the morale of your force is not good then it's hard to get the mission accomplished," McCain said.


http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/john.../10/id/767834/

John Kelly, Trump’s Pick for Homeland Security, Cruises in Hearing




Ron Nixon and Emmarie Huetteman. January 10, 2017


WASHINGTON — Gen. John F. Kelly, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, easily maneuvered through his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, drawing bipartisan support for what is likely be a smooth approval process by the full Senate.



Still, despite the welcoming nature of the hearing, the senators pressed General Kelly, a retired Marine Corps four-star general, for his views on many of Mr. Trump’s statements about immigration and border security, and General Kelly offered opinions differing from those expressed by the president-elect.
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, asked General Kelly about Mr. Trump’s much-debated calls to build a wall along the border with Mexico, questioning whether a barrier alone would be sufficient to stop the flow of immigrants and drugs.


“A physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job,” General Kelly said.


General Kelly made it clear that the United States would have to deal with factors in South and Central America that fuel northward migration — especially drugs and related violence — and that the nation should look to bolster law enforcement in those countries. He also expressed a notable degree of empathy for those who seek refuge in the United States.


“They, for the most part, don’t want to come up and leave their homes, their families,” General Kelly said. “But there isn’t an awful lot of economic opportunity for them there.”


General Kelly was also questioned about Mr. Trump’s suggestion that he might revive a dormant registry program for visitors from countries with active terrorist groups — a program critics say unfairly targets Muslims.


Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and a member of Mr. Trump’s transition team, was photographed in November with a document of first-year proposals that included, under the rubric “Bar the Entry of Potential Terrorists,” a proposal to reintroduce the registry program.


Senator Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan, asked General Kelly if he supported the program.


“I don’t agree with registering people based on ethnicity or religion,” General Kelly replied.


Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky and a longtime critic of government surveillance programs, asked General Kelly if he supported the bulk collection of data on Americans.


“I’m not for the mass collection of data,” General Kelly said. “I go the other way.”


Lawmakers did not broach the subject of Mr. Trump’s proposal to deport millions of undocumented immigrants once he takes office, although Senator Kamala Harris of California, a newly elected Democrat and a former state attorney general, asked about the fate of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. General Kelly said he would enforce the law.


If confirmed, General Kelly will become the fifth person and the first former military officer to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for protecting the country from terrorist attacks and managing the nation’s response to disasters.


General Kelly was introduced to the homeland security panel by Robert M. Gates, a secretary of defense under President Obama and George W. Bush, and by Mr. McCain.


Mr. Gates, who was General Kelly’s boss during a tour at the Pentagon, called him a “straight-talking, candid, courageous leader who will say exactly what he thinks.” Mr. Gates described him as a reliable, competent leader, capable of managing a complex, multipart operation.


“To put it quite simply, he is one of the finest people I have ever known,” Mr. Gates said. “I would trust him with my life.”


As Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, opened the confirmation hearing, he called General Kelly the most qualified person to lead the department. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, the top Democrat on the panel, also praised the general and later wrote on Twitter that he was a “good choice.”



The hearing was remarkable for its subdued tone. Even members of the protest group Code Pink listened quietly in their bright pink capes, mere hours after they disrupted the confirmation hearing for Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Mr. Trump’s nominee for attorney general.


Most of the lawmakers’ questions focused on General Kelly’s plans to combat terrorism, defend against computer breaches and enhance border security, including how to protect the largely unsecured northern border with Canada.


If confirmed, General Kelly will take over a department with a budget of over $40 billion and more than 240,000 workers. The agency is responsible for border security, immigration control, responding to natural disasters, cybersecurity and screening passengers at airports, among other duties.




General Kelly called Jeh Johnson, the current sectary of homeland security, a friend, and said he had worked closely with Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard while he was in charge of the military’s Southern Command. He often praised the two agencies in testimony before Congress.


General Kelly will face a number of challenges if he is confirmed. Despite improvements in recent years, the department continues to have persistent management problems, and employee morale is consistently low compared with other federal agencies.


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/u...firmation.html

Related:

http://www.alipac.us/f12/dhs-nominee...cement-342133/

Retired Gen. John Kelly is Trump’s pick to run immigration enforcement. Here’s why Dems aren’t fighting him.


If anything, they’re hoping he’ll “speak truth to power.”

Updated by Dara Linddara@vox.com Jan 10, 2017, 3:00pm EST


There are plenty of Trump administration nominees that Senate Democrats are gravely concerned about. Gen. John Kelly, the retired Marine nominated to head the perpetually troubled Department of Homeland Security, is not one of them.


If anything, Kelly — like another of the retired generals President-elect Donald Trump has picked for a top post, Defense Secretary nominee James Mattis — is a lot more respected among Democrats and policy wonks than his boss-to-be. As head of US Northern Command (coordinating the armed forces’ operations in North America) and Southern Command (Central and South America), he showed a willingness to work with foreign governments and an interest in complex solutions for complex problems — both things that many Democrats would like to see far more of from Trump.


So when Kelly goes before the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Tuesday, they’ll be less interested in shooting down his nomination than in finding out how he plans to lead one of the country’s most sprawling and poorly-managed Cabinet departments — and how willing he’ll be to challenge the president. Here are a few topics you can expect to come up.


Building the wall… As DHS Secretary, building Trump’s promised US/Mexico border “wall” would primarily be Kelly’s job. What that wall would look like; when Trump and company are actually planning to finish it; what it will mean for legal immigrants or asylum-seekers — these are all policy questions that Trump and his top aides have avoided but that Kelly, who will be under oath, will have to answer.

…and getting Mexico to pay for it: The Trump transition team is working with House Republicans to get Congress to appropriate enough money to start construction, leading Trump critics to call the president-elect out for breaking his “promise” to get Mexico to pay for it. Expect Kelly to get questions about the supposed flip-flop.


The reason that this is interesting, though, is that Trump’s election has had huge domestic effects on the Mexican economy and public safety. The peso has lost a lot of value since Trump was elected (partly because of speculation about what he might do). In order to stabilize the currency and the economy, the Mexican government’s going to need a strong working relationship with the incoming administration. If it can’t fix the weakening peso, it’s likely to continue to see civil unrest over weak currency and high gas prices — which could spur more Mexicans to try to flee for the US.

Kelly has a reputation from the military for working well with foreign heads of state. Furthermore, he tends to understand that economic instability in other countries in the region is bad for US border security. It’s going to be very interesting to see whether Kelly endorses the Trumpian attitude of playing hardball with the Mexican government, or whether he expresses concerns that pushing Mexico too far might end up making the US less safe.


The Muslim ban: DHS will play a huge role in implementing Trump’s promised “extreme vetting” for certain immigrants entering the US. Kelly will probably be asked if he supports a ban on Muslim immigration to the US — a proposal that Trump floated during the campaign, but that has since morphed into a ban on immigration from countries with a history of terrorism or where governments can’t properly screen applicants rather than an outright ban on members of one religious group.

Deportations: Trump’s immigration policy focuses on punishment of people who have already arrived in the US without papers. Kelly hasn’t talked much about domestic immigration policy, but he’s pointed out that “if the countries where these migrants come from have reasonable levels of violence and reasonable levels of economic opportunity, then the people won’t leave to come here.”


That’s a much softer attitude toward unauthorized immigrants than the Trump administration (not to mention rank-and-file members of the immigration-enforcement agencies) tends to take, and Kelly will almost certainly be asked what he thinks needs to be done to address the unauthorized immigrant population.


DHS management: Kelly has little experience in civilian bureaucracy, and DHS is widely regarded to be one of the toughest bureaucracies to manage in the federal government. How Kelly plans to deal with his often disorganized, often recalcitrant department — on issues from low employee morale and management/labor clashes, to interagency coordination, to making sure that agencies like FEMA remain competent and well-funded enough to respond to disasters should they arise — isn’t the most politically exciting topic, but it’s one that senators are probably going to be concerned about.


http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/10/14215594/john-kelly-confirmation-hearing-homeland-security