JERHOLD NADLEFI, New York DOUG COLLINS, Georgia CHAIRMAN RANKING MINORITY MEMBER @1213. 39mm?: of Representatihes an the Euhinarp Washington, ?01: 20515?6216 @112 itaunhreh ?ixttentb (Emigrant April 15, 2019 Mick Mulvaney The Honorable Kevin K. McAleenan Acting Chief of Staff Acting Secretary White House U.S. Department of Homeland Security 1600 Avenue NW 301 7th Street SW WashingtOn, DC. 20500 Washington, DC. 20528 Chief of Staff Mulvaney and Acting Secretary McAleenan: We are deeply troubled by multiple reports, recently con?rmed by the President, that the Trump Administration is considering releasing detained immigrants into congressional districts represented by Democrats in a bizarre and unlawful attempt to score political points. According to these reports, senior White House of?cials contacted of?cials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about transferring and eventually releasing detainees from facilities across the country into Democratic congressional districts. This proposal was considered at least twice in the last six months,1 and the President con?rmed on April 12, 2019, that the proposal is once again being given ?strong considerations.?2 Among other things, we learned that the plan appears to have been speci?cally designed to target Democratic districts: ?[t]he White House told U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the plan served to send a message to Democrats;?3 and that a person familiar with the plan suggested ?that releasing the immigrants into the sanctuary cities would be a way of punishing Democrats for resisting budget requests for more money to detain undocumented immigrants.?4 We also learnAEd ?[t]he sanctuary city proposal ran contrary to ICE 1 White House Proposed Released Immigrant Detainees in Sanctuary Cities, Targeting Political Foes, Washington Post (Apr. 11, 2019) (online at 1/72839bc8-5c68-1 1e9-9625- 2 President Donald J. Trump, Tweet (Apr. 12, 2019) (online at 1 16742280919044096). 3 Washington Post, id. n.1. 4 White House is Said to have Debated Sending Migrants to ?Sanctuary Cities? ,New York Times (April 12,2019) (online at Page 1 of 3 policy guidelines, as well as legal counsel?5 and that White House senior adviser Stephen Miller ?urged senior DHS of?cials to make the plan a reality? and ?was angered that department lawyers refused to produce legal guidance that would make the plan viable.?6 These reports are alarming. Not only does the Administration lack the legal authority to transfer detainees in this manner, it is shocking that the President and senior Administration of?cials are even considering manipulating release decisions for purely political reasons. Given the gravity of this matter, we respectfully request that you provide, for the date range of November 1, 2018, through April 15, 2019, the following documents: 1. Emails and other communications between White House of?cials and DHS of?cials, including of?cials of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), concerning the transfer or release, or potential transfer or release, of immigration detainees to or in speci?c locations or areas within the United States. 2. Emails and other communications between DHS of?cials concerning the transfer or release, or potential transfer or release, of immigration detainees to or in speci?c locations or areas within the United States. 3. Emails and other communications between DHS of?cials and ICE of?cials concerning the transfer or release, or potential transfer or release, of immigration detainees to or in speci?c locations or areas within the United States. 4. All DHS document, memorandum and other materials, including drafts thereof, discussing policy or legal justi?cations or implications for the transfer or release of immigration detainees to or in speci?c locations or areas within the United States. Please provide these documents by no later than May 3, 2019. The Committee on the Judiciary has jurisdiction under House Rule over all immigration policy and non-border enforcement. The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the principal oversight committee of the House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate ?any matter? at ?anytime? under House Rule X. The Committee on Homeland Security has jurisdiction under House Rule over homeland security policy and the organization, administration, and general management of the Department of Homeland Security. 5 of?cials balked at the notion of moving migrants to detention facilities in different areas, insisting that Congress only authorizes the agency to deport immigrants, not relocate them internally, according to DHS of?cials.? Washington Post, id. 11. 1. In an email, Mr. Albence [Acting Deputy Director of responded that the proposal would create ?an unnecessary operational burden? on the department and added that he did not know how paying extra to transport migrants to another location was ?a justi?ed expenditure.? New York Times, id. n. 4 6 Trump Con?rms He Looking at Releasing Detained Immigrants into so-called Sanctuary Cities, CNN (April 12, 2019) (online at Page 2 of 3 An attachment to this letter provides additional instructions for responding to the Committees? document request. If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Judiciary Committee staff at (202) 225 -3 95, Oversight Committee staff at (202) 225-5 051, or Committee on Homeland Security staff at (202) 226-2616. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, 90%; Jerrold Nadler Elijah Cummings Bennie G. Chairman Chairman Chairman House Committee on the House Committee on House Committee on Judiciary Oversight and Reform Homeland Security cc: Honorable Doug Collins, Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary Honorable Jim Jordan, Ranking Member, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Honorable Mike Rogers, Ranking Member, House Committee on Homeland Security Page 3 of 3