Mark Takano: “I thank my friend for organizing this critical Special Order hour to shed light on the horrors inflicted on immigrant…”

“I thank my friend for organizing this critical Special Order hour to shed light on the horrors inflicted on immigrant communities by the Trump administration. I am proud to represent the Inland Empire of southern California just east of Los Angeles. My district is home to a thriving immigrant community. It has been enriched by immigrants just like so many other communities across the country. In recent weeks, this community has been plagued by fear. Images of masked agents dragging people out of cars, using excessive force, and disappearing individuals in unmarked cars are sowing fear. We cannot allow this to continue. Make no mistake, this is all on President Trump. The President has instructed ICE to meet arbitrary deportation quotas. Their aggressive and baseless target number of 3,000 daily arrests does not require them to focus on violent offenders and criminals. Instead, mothers and fathers who have been in this country for years with no criminal record and who have raised their children in the United States are being targeted. This administration's claim that it aims to deport violent criminals is a falsehood. What we are witnessing is the erosion of due process. I have been especially troubled by the image of a landscaper, a man whose sons have served in the Marines, being punched repeatedly in the head by ICE agents this past Sunday. Is this something my Republican colleagues are proud of?”