Chair Hudson questions Deborah Berkman on safety transfer process

Thank you so much for your testimony.

And I just want to ask, when you've advocated on behalf of clients, is that like directly with the security officers or management at the site, or is it with DHS?

So I generally will contact DHS legal because I'm a lawyer and the people on my team work with DHS legal.

And there is still at times opposition when we bring up a safety request.

I mean, so you're an attorney.

I am.

Okay, don't take offense.

Oh.

But just because I feel like lawyers talking to lawyers is always going to be a little...

You shouldn't need a lawyer.

Challenging.

You shouldn't need a lawyer, and I totally support that.

But I just wonder if the lawyers are saying something that could be maybe a little bit different from what...

other folks in DHS could potentially say.

Right, what programs would say.

What I will say is that we would never request a safety transfer for a client unless they had already requested it themselves and not gotten anywhere.

So 100% of our safety transfer requests, the clients have already tried.

To bring it up at their shelter and it hasn't been denied.

It's been denied or it hasn't been processed.

It's not clear to me.

Yeah.

And I guess also what I'm, the point that I'm trying to make is, and probably not in the best or most articulate way, is the lawyers probably shouldn't be the people making the decision or determination as to whether or not somebody should be

moved for safety reasons.

Of course.

And if someone feels unsafe, then there is a safety threat.

Right.

Exactly.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.