Political Quotes

“Two names have been lost in months of government shutdowns and threats of national emergencies: Jakelin Caal Maquin and Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Those were the children who died in December while in the custody of our Federal Government. Let me tell you a bit about Jakelin's story and how, in the next 48 hours, we will take a historic first step to forever change how our Nation treats children fleeing violence. Jakelin Caal Maquin was 7 years old. She joined her father in fleeing the extreme danger and poverty of her village, San Antonio Secortez in Guatemala. Together, they dreamed of new opportunities, of new safety, of a home free from violence and discrimination where they could build a life and support their loved ones at home. Jakelin and her father chose the same destination that asylum seekers, immigrants, and refugees have sought for centuries: the United States of America. But the conditions I saw at the Border Patrol facilities where Jakelin and her father were held were not worthy of our American ideals. The conditions did not demonstrate respect for the human dignity of the individuals in our Federal Government's care. Look, I am a doctor. I know what a functioning emergency medical response protocol looks like and how it should operate, and this was not it.…”