Dick Durbin Calls Out Solicitor General Sauer's Answer To ACB During Birthright Citizenship Hearing

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At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed Solicitor General D. John Sauer for his argument before the Supreme Court.

Transcript

00:00Earlier this year, I asked Judicial, pardon me, Justice Department nominees a simple question.

00:06May a public official defy a court order?

00:10Shockingly, the nominees, including the future Solicitor General, John Sauer, refused to give an unequivocal response.

00:20Now, days ago, Mr. Sauer faced the same question, and he repeated this legal dodge before the Supreme Court of the United States.

00:27During arguments in a case challenging the president's illegal birthright citizenship executive order,

00:34Justice Barrett, known as a Trump nominee, asked Mr. Sauer if the administration would follow circuit court rulings.

00:45Mr. Sauer responded that the governor's policy is to, quote,

00:49generally, generally respect circuit precedent, but not necessarily in every case.

00:57As our colleague, Senator Kennedy, said earlier this year, and I quote,

01:02don't ever, ever take the position that you're not going to follow the order of a federal court.

01:08Ever.

01:10Mr. Geiser has been nominated to lead the Office of Legal Counsel,

01:13which provides legal advice to the president and all executive branch agencies.

01:17I want to hear what he believes, that the policy of the federal government should be,

01:22and whether he can ignore court rulings that don't suit any president's whim.

01:28From day one, the administration has had one goal, bringing our immigration system to a breaking point.

01:34I will confess some prejudice in this matter.

01:38I am the son of an immigrant who came to the chairmanship of this committee.

01:42I'm proud of it.

01:43If you visit my office, you're going to find my mom's naturalization certificate behind my desk,

01:48making it clear to all visitors where I stand on the issue of immigration.

01:53I like to believe that my family and virtually all of the immigrant families have made this a stronger nation.

02:03Beyond unlawfully attempting to end birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the Constitution,

02:09the administration has made it harder for legal immigrants to apply for citizenship and naturalize.

02:15This administration has made it harder for dreamers who want to do the right thing.

02:19Now, these were kids brought to the United States by their parents.

02:23They didn't make a conscious decision to get in the car and drive across the border.

02:27Their parents did.

02:28They've grown up here in the United States, showed up in the classrooms,

02:32and pledged allegiance to the same flag we pledge allegiance to every day.

02:36It wasn't until they were teenagers that they knew the real reality that they face.

02:42They want to do the right things.

02:43They want to apply for programs like DACA so that they can receive work permits

02:47and continue to contribute to the American economy.

02:51I'm disappointed to hear that Mr. Edlow, who came by my office,

02:55nominated to lead USCIS, opposes DACA,

02:59when even President Trump claims that he doesn't want to deport dreamers.

03:03Despite his personal opinions, I want to hear how Mr. Edlow will ensure that USCIS

03:08will promptly process DACA applications of eligible dreamers.

03:14The administration has also ended temporary protective status for people who fled Afghanistan and Venezuela,

03:21falsely claiming these countries are safe to return to.

03:24These actions are cruel.

03:27In the name of carrying out Trump's mass deportation agenda,

03:30Attorney General Bondi has made the Department of Justice a shell of its former self.

03:35Thousands of federal law enforcement agents have been diverted from drug trafficking

03:41and violent crime to deporting immigrants who pose no threat to our safety.

03:47Mr. Woodward, nominated to be the number three official of the Justice Department,

03:51will oversee Justice Department grant-making.

03:54The Civil Rights Division and many other components are now under attack.

03:57The Justice Department at the direction of DOGE took their chainsaw to hundreds of millions of dollars

04:06in federal grants to support public safety and our police.

04:10Programs supporting violence reduction, victim services, child protection,

04:15and substance use and mental health have been gutted.

04:19Ask law enforcement in your favorite community how you stop crime.

04:23They have an important job to do, and we know that.

04:26When we dial 911, we want to make sure that the right person is answering the call.

04:31But they will also tell you we cannot arrest our way out of violent crime.

04:35We need to do more.

04:37I believe that.

04:38For nearly 70 years under Republican and Democratic administrations alike,

04:43the Civil Rights Division protected the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans.

04:48Once known as the crown jewel of the Justice Department,

04:50it has now been reduced to litigating a narrow set of cases aligned with the MAGA agenda.

04:57This is anathema to how this division has operated historically.

05:01I want to hear from Mr. Woodward whether the Justice Department will continue to capitulate

05:05or will it help restore the Justice Department's intended function,

05:09protecting the safety and rights of all Americans.

05:12Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:13Now, in this order, we'll hear from Senator Marino, Tillis, and Moody to introduce the nominees.

05:24Senator Marino.

05:26Chairman Grassley and...

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