Napolitano Confirmation Hearings Begin Today

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Secretary-Designate of the Department of Homeland Security will appear at confirmation hearings today befoew the U.S. Senate.  Click here and here to see the kinds of immigration questions that she likely will receive.  Here is a summary of Gov. Napolitano’s immigration record.

The Washington Post provides an overview of Napolitano’s prepared testimony.  The bottom line:  Although short on details, Napolitano stated that increased EMPLOYER enforcement would be one of DHS’ priorities.

Watch the hearings LIVE now.

Stay tuned and we will let you know how the hearings go.

UPDATE: Immigration Policy Center (IPC) Director Angela Kelley issued the following statement after the confirmation hearing of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS):

Gov. Janet Napolitano’s performance at today’s confirmation hearing to serve as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary deserves an “A” for “know-how”, but an “incomplete” for “how-to” reform DHS and our country’s broken immigration system. Serving more as a tea party than a rigorous cross examination, confirmation hearings are notoriously poor venues for deep policy discussions. The Governor has a wealth of relevant experience and a deep understanding of all of the issues about which the Senators questioned her. However, the hearing left little room for drilling down into the specifics of complex policy issues. While discussion of enforcement was plentiful, questions and (therefore answers) about what to do with 12 million people living without documentation in the U.S. were in short supply. DHS has focused much of its energy on sweeping-up undocumented workers, while little is spent on bad actor employers intentionally operating outside the law and even less on critical immigration services. Napolitano must chart a new direction for DHS ,as well as provide the wisdom and leadership needed to devise common sense solutions to our immigration system which move the country forward and are consistent with the American values of fairness, opportunity, and the rule of law. We are optimistic that, once in office, Gov. Napolitano will provide more detailed answers to many of the outstanding policy questions surrounding effective immigration enforcement, the need for reform legislation, achieving timely and efficient immigration services, and a multitude of other issues she will be forced to confront from day one.

KJ