Immigration

Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL) offered the following statement following the Supreme Court decision on United States v. Texas.

Washington D.C. – Today at an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing entitled “Terrorist Travel: Vetting for National Security Concerns,” Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL), questioned Obama Administration officials about threats from terrorists entering our country by taking advantage of our visa laws. This threat has become more urgent after the recent attack in San Bernardino, California, where one perpetrator, Tashfeen Malik, was a foreign national who was cleared to enter the U.S. by exploiting weak points in our visa laws.

In the face of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, Alabama lawmakers are taking a stand against continued Syrian refugee immigration to the United States fearing a similar terrorist plot in the U.S.

Reports claim at least one of the terrorists involved in the Paris attacks had slipped into the country with refugees fleeing the chaos in Syria.

France has already shut its borders after terrorists killed at least 129 people on Friday, and several other countries in the European Union are reassessing their immigration protocols.

Thursday, July 23 U.S. Representatives Gary Palmer (R from Hoover) and Bradley Byrne (R from Montrose) both voted in favor of H.R. 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, which passed the House today. This bill cuts off specific federal law enforcement grants for “sanctuary” cities. The legislation defines sanctuary cities as those cities which refuse to cooperate with the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) or other government agencies charged with immigration, or have laws that bar law enforcement from inquiring about a suspect’s immigration status.