JAYAPAL STATEMENT ON MEETING WITH CBP SEATTLE FIELD OFFICE LEADERSHIP

[SEATTLE, WA] – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, today issued the following statement after meeting with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Seattle Director of Field Operations, Adele Fasano, at Jayapal’s office in Seattle. At Jayapal’s invitation, U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA) also joined the meeting.

“I appreciate CBP Seattle Director of Operations Adele Fasano meeting with us. For the first time, we were able to hear that there was indeed a breach of protocol and that a large number of Iranian Americans were inappropriately targeted. I would like to see a formal statement from CBP admitting these facts, and I await the results of two investigations underway,” said Jayapal.

“I’m also deeply concerned that it took a leaked memo to get to this point. CBP headquarters has not been honest about what happened — and that must change,” said Jayapal. “CBP still hasn’t responded to the letter I led with my House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Oversight colleagues, and has missed the deadline for a response. I look forward to receiving their written response immediately.”

“CBP must come clean, admit what happened, apologize to those impacted, and take steps to ensure this egregious breach of protocol and violation of civil liberties never happens again,” said Jayapal.

# # #

Issues: Government Reform & Ethics