Julia Brownley: “His name was Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez. He was 16. He was sick with the flu, so sick with the flu that he passed…”

“His name was Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez. He was 16. He was sick with the flu, so sick with the flu that he passed out. He was being detained by U.S. Border Patrol. He laid on the floor of his cell for hours without a single person coming to help him. He spent hours, until he died, on the floor alone. When CBP detained him, they were responsible for his well-being. We were responsible for his well-being, and we failed him. Some say we must create a deterrent from children fleeing their home country. I ask, Mr. President, is this deterrent enough for you? Our country was founded on the principle that human rights are universal rights. It is at the very core of our Constitution, our democracy, and it is why this democratic experiment endures. Without it, we are nothing. ____________________”