Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) took Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to the proverbial woodshed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after she leveled accusations at the Trump administration of “terrorizing immigrant communities” during a discussion on the denaturalization of people convicted of fraud and other crimes. Hirono, who is a naturalized citizen, commented on the SCAM Act, otherwise known as the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act, during the hearing.
“I happen to be the only naturalized citizen sitting on this committee, and I am horrified by the implication that naturalized citizens basically get second-class citizenship,” Hirono went on to say. “As a naturalized citizen, I’m proud of it. I can’t think of a more undemocratic, un-American thing to do to someone who chooses to become a U.S. citizen than to hold this over their heads and treat us like second-class citizens.”
Schmitt accused the Hawaiian Democrat of defending not only fraudsters, but also rapists and murderers in her support of the SCAM Act. “What I’m saying in this bill is if you do those things to the American people, if you take advantage of taxpayers… if you commit a terrorist act, if you commit wholesale welfare fraud, within 10 years, you’re damn right we’re deporting you,” he fired back at Hirono.
“If you are convicted in a court of law of these crimes, absolutely we should not only convict you, but we should deport you. Gone. And if you think that’s some sort of negative assertion toward me, I’ll take it. I love it,” Schmitt said with a fiery tone.
Schmitt then recalled the case of Mirsad Ramic, who refused to recite the oath of allegiance and instead cited an Islamic oath and cursed non-Muslims during his naturalization ceremony. In 2009, he joined the Islamic State terror group.
“So, Mr. Cuccinelli, I want to ask you. Federal naturalization law requires prospective citizens to show good moral character, attachment to the Constitution, and a disposition towards the good order and happiness of the United States, correct?” Schmitt asked Ken Cuccinelli, a lawyer and former acting deputy secretary for Homeland Security. He answered in the affirmative.
“So a naturalized citizen who later joins ISIS, spies for our enemies, joins a cartel, or steals millions from American taxpayers through fraud, raises the simple question of whether that person actually met the requirements for citizenship, right?” Schmitt continued. Again, Cuccinelli said yes. The Missouri Republican then brought up the Ramic case.
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“Mirsad Ramic was approved for naturalization in 2009, but refused the oath, refused to cite the oath of allegiance at his naturalization ceremony, and instead recited the Islamic oath and cursed all non-Muslims. Is that correct?” Schmitt asked Cuccinelli who answered yes once again. He then asked if Cuccinelli believed Ramic was attached to the principles contained in our Constitution and the “well disposed good order and happiness of the United States.
“Quite the opposite,” Cuccinelli replied. “Okay, but he was allowed to be naturalized anyway, correct?” Schmitt pressed. “He was,” Cuccinelli responded, adding, “Factory line fashion undoubtedly.” Schmitt then brings up Ramic joining ISIS and his participation in various atrocities that killed over 100,000 individuals. Later, Schmitt brought up the case of Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, the gunman involved in the Old Dominion University shooting that left one person dead and injured several others.
Jalloh was also a naturalized citizen who had been previously convicted of providing ISIS with material support, but was released from prison, which provided him with the opportunity to carry out the shooting at Old Dominion. Schmitt suggested that Jalloh should have been denaturalized and deported, but he wasn’t, thus opening the door for further terrorist-related activity to be carried out.
“I want to ask you: under current law, joining a terrorist organization is grounds for denaturalization, but only if that occurs within five years, correct? Five years of naturalization,” Schmitt asked Cuccinelli. He said yes. “And even if he had been denaturalized, the Supreme Court has interpreted the immigration statutes to not permit that conduct as a deportable offense, correct?” Again, the answer was yes, proving his point that Hirono and other Democrats supporting the SCAM Act are protecting dangerous criminals rather than denaturalizing them and sending them to their home countries.
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