U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today released the following statement on the case of Dr. Lukasz Niec:

“This case, and others like it around the country, tug at the heart and soul of our conscience. It is why we must legislatively fix our broken immigration system. Our focus should be on removing those who threaten our country or have committed grave offenses – not productive members of our communities. I raised Dr. Niec’s situation with dozens of colleagues and in our bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus meeting this past weekend. It’s clear we must work together on these issues now more than ever.

“The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits our office from divulging details of our work on this ongoing situation. However, Dr. Niec has now signed a privacy release form that does allow us to work with his legal team in a constructive way.”

“The anxiety and fear that Dr. Niec and his family must be experiencing is unfathomable. He is clearly a much-respected member of our community and we will continue to work with all involved on a resolution.”