WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski and Congressman Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff, asking him to reconsider a recent DHS report that concluded Montgomery County does not require a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sub-district office dedicated to serving both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. This office is designed to facilitate immigrants’ ability to comply with our immigration laws.

Senator Mikulski and Congressman Van Hollen have worked over the past two years to establish a Montgomery County sub-district office so that immigrants residing in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties would not be required to travel to Baltimore to access the agency’s services. Last year, former USCIS Director of Field Operations Terrance O’Reilly assured congressional staff and community leaders that establishing this office could be part of DHS’s transformational process. Senator Mikulski and Congressman Van Hollen have corresponded with Secretary Chertoff, asking him to confirm that a Montgomery County sub-district office was part of DHS’s plan. Because DHS refused to provide a clear answer, Senator Mikulski included language in the 2005 Homeland Security spending bill that directed USCIS to submit a report on the costs and need to establish a sub-district office for the counties.

The DHS report was recently released and summarily concluded that a Montgomery County office is not needed. Continuing their fight to make this office a reality, Senator Mikulski and Congressman Van Hollen today sent the following letter to Secretary Chertoff:

March 8, 2006

The Honorable Michael Chertoff, Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

We are writing to follow up on the report recently issued to the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, as required by Senate Report 109-83, Title IV, page 80. That language directed USCIS to submit a report on the costs and need to establish a sub-district office in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Although we appreciate that the report was delivered in a timely manner, the report does not address the feasibility of establishing an office in Montgomery County, but only states the geographic proximity of Montgomery County relative to the Baltimore District Office. We find the report to be insufficiently detailed and, consequently, unacceptable, and we urge you to reassess the need for a sub-district office.

We understand that USCIS is considering establishing new offices in high use areas as part of its transformational process plan. We applaud that concept. Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, home to 66% of Maryland’s immigrant population, has demonstrated an extraordinarily high usage of USCIS services and are ideal candidates for consideration under this plan. Indeed, a facility in Montgomery County would be a model for other such facilities throughout the country.

We remain committed to the establishment of this office and will do everything we can to assist you in this effort. Maryland’s immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties deserve access to both accessible and efficient services.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator

Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress