Building a wall not enough to secure border, DHS nominee John Kelly says
WASHINGTON — Building a wall won't be enough to secure the U.S. border with Mexico, retired Marine Corps general John Kelly, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security, told senators during a confirmation hearing Tuesday.
"A physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job," Kelly said. "It has to be really a layered defense."
He told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that would require patrols, sensors and "observation devices," and also working with other countries to stem illegal travel toward the U.S. border from as far south as Peru.
"We could have better partnerships," Kelly said.
If confirmed, he would be responsible for spearheading the implementation of Trump’s campaign pledges to build a wall along the southern border, ramp up deportations of immigrants living in the United States illegally, and track foreigners who overstay their visas.
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Kelly said the government needs a better system to alert DHS officials when visas expire and the bearer hasn't left the United States so that DHS could notify local law enforcement or others who could visit the visa-holders at their last known addresses and ask why they haven't left.
As for deportations, Kelly said that the department currently doesn't have the capacity to deport everyone living in the country illegally so prioritization would be required, and he didn't think it would be a priority to deport children brought here illegally by their parents, a group currently allowed to stay at least temporarily under an executive order from Obama.
"There's a big spectrum of people who need to be dealt with in terms of deportations ... I would guess that this category wouldn't be the highest priority for removal," he said, but he cautioned that the incoming administration is still determining exactly what the immigration policies will be.
In his opening statement, Kelly said that just as he did when entering the Marine Corps, he pledges he would do "everything within my power to preserve our liberty, enforce our laws, and protect our citizens."
Kelly said he also believes in "respect, tolerance, and diversity of opinion," and he has "never had a problem speaking truth to power, and I firmly believe that those in power deserve full candor and my honest assessment and recommendations."
The lead Democrat on the committee, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, hailed those sentiments and said she would count on him to speak truth to Trump.
"Given your experience I expect you to be up to that challenge," she said.
Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in his opening remarks, ticked off Kelly's accomplishments in the military and said he is the perfect choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Kelly, 66, is a tough-talking Boston native who spent more than 40 years in the service, first as an enlisted Marine and then as an officer who, among other missions, led troops into combat in Iraq. Kelly’s son was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.
Kelly also did stints as legislative assistant to the commandant, liaison for the commandant to the U.S. House of Representatives, and more recently as an adviser to former Defense secretaries Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, who introduced Kelly at Tuesday's hearing and called him "superbly qualified."
Before retiring last year, he was head of the U.S. Southern Command, where he oversaw military operations in South and Central America and the Caribbean and developed relationships with countries in the region that could be useful if he is confirmed.
The Department of Homeland Security, which has more than 240,000 employees, includes the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Kelly's hearing was not expected to be as contentious as the proceedings for attorney general pick Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., which began Tuesday morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee and are slated to last two days.
Trump told reporters on Monday that he believes the confirmation process is “going great.”
"I think they'll all pass,” he said, adding that his picks are “all at the highest level.”
“I think they're going to do very well,” Trump said.
When he announced Kelly as his Homeland Security pick last month, Trump cited Kelly’s “decades of military service and deep commitment to fighting the threat of terrorism inside our borders.”
“He is the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and securing our borders, streamlining TSA and improving coordination between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” he said.
At the time, Kelly — who has been critical of border security during the current administration — said that the American people in November voted to “stop terrorism, take back sovereignty at our borders and put a stop to political correctness that for too long has dictated our approach to national security.”
“I will tackle those issues with a seriousness of purpose and a deep respect for our laws and Constitution,” he said.
Kelly is one of the least controversial of Trump’s Cabinet choices so far, but advocacy groups still hoped senators will ask him tough questions.
America’s Voice Education Fund, an immigrant rights group, said it was interested in Kelly's position on continuing Obama’s policy of prioritizing immigrants convicted of crimes for deportation and whether he would tell Trump to keep Obama’s order temporarily allowing children brought into the country illegally by their parents to stay.
“We need to know where Gen. Kelly stands on preserving the ability for these talented aspiring Americans to continue working and living in the country they call home,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of the group.
That was also of particular interest to United We Dream, which planned to send beneficiaries of the order, known as “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” and their family members to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make their position known.
“DACA is a victory that we, that was unexpected, that no one thought we could (make) happen, that we made a reality and we are ready to defend it,” Greisa Martinez, the group’s advocacy director, said Monday. “And I think for him, that’s the biggest and most important question that — an important question that will come at him tomorrow in the hearing. We expect it to be clear and concise.”
HIAS, a Jewish organization that advocates for refugees, wanted to know how Kelly would “ensure due process, fairness, and compassion while enforcing U.S. immigration law."
“It is critical for our government leaders to maintain U.S. leadership in protecting refugees and ensure due process for those who seek safety in the U.S.,” said Melanie Nezer, HIAS vice president for policy and advocacy. “Anything less would be contrary to American and Jewish values and a betrayal of our history.”
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