Tomorrow afternoon Shuster will be meeting with three senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, and today’s speech brings the issue to the attention of other Members of Congress.  Acting Assistant Director for Investigations Bill Reid, Deputy Assistant Director Kevin Kozak and Claude Arnold, who handled the Padilla case at ICE headquarters, will be coming to Congressman Shuster’s Washington office for the meeting.  Reid also serves as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions and with that is responsible for developing an enforcement strategy for that area of responsibility.  

Below is the text of Shuster’s floor speech before the House of Representatives:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today because America’s immigration problem has grown to be even more alarming to me than it was just two weeks ago.  Three men were killed in Altoona by an illegal alien who should have been deported years ago.  

“Miguel Padilla, the alleged killer, has been living here for fifteen years, has a driver’s license, a registered car, graduated from Penn-Cambria High School and has been arrested twice before for assault with a knife and illegal possession of a gun – all after entering the U.S. illegally.  Alfred Mignogna, a local businessman, Fred Rickabaugh, a worker at the veterans club, and Stephen Heiss, a Marine veteran, were killed in cold blood by Padilla last week.  It is terrible enough when a murder occurs, but to have it happen by someone who should not have been here adds to the despair.  

“This is an example that happens far too often in our country.  When police had Padilla in custody during these arrests they contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  ICE did nothing and they have no answers to this day.  Three murders could have been prevented.  It is outrageous for Padilla to go unnoticed in our country for that long, especially with prior arrests.  It is hard enough to find illegal aliens, but when they are handed over to federal authorities action needs to be taken.”