Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) used his time during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch to shift the discussion to Operation Streamline.

Operation Streamline is a federal program seeking to reduce recidivism in the Yuma Sector by expeditiously prosecuting those entering or reentering the United States illegally under a “zero tolerance” approach. Flake has long sought answers from the administration in response to reports that the Justice Department has stopped prosecutions of first-time illegal border crossers under Operation Streamline – one of the few programs associated with improvements in border security – unless they have a criminal history or are otherwise a threat to public safety.  Watch his exchange with Lynch below:

“[Operation Streamline] isn't all we need to do but it is a significant part of what we need to do, and Arizonans have paid the price – a disproportionate price – for a long time for the federal government's failure to have a secure border.

“So when we have programs like this that work and we see success in one sector – and everybody can point to that – it’s very disturbing when D.O.J. pulls back on that. And we fear that Yuma sector – as the economy kicks up again and crossings are more frequent – that we're going to have the same problems that we had a few years ago. We just can't go on with that.”

###

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) today joined U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to discuss the return of U.S. citizen Alan Gross from Cuba.