Val Demings: “I thank my colleague from the Virgin Islands for her leadership on this issue and for making it a priority and giving it…”

“I thank my colleague from the Virgin Islands for her leadership on this issue and for making it a priority and giving it the urgency that those under TPS status deserve. Mr. Speaker, first of all, of course, I want to extend my condolences to the families whose loved ones were murdered in Sutherland Springs, Texas, while attending worship service. I also extend my condolences to my colleague from Texas, Eddie Bernice Johnson, who is mourning the death of her sister. Mr. Speaker, after college--it was a lot of years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday--I worked as a social worker, working with families in need of emergency services, in need of shelter, in need of food, and in need of medical care. I also worked with foster care children. Mr. Speaker, you may know that I also spent over 20 years as a law enforcement officer. As such, the preservation of human life was my number one priority. Saving lives was first. But then we also wanted to improve the quality of life for persons living and working in our community. Mr. Speaker, the quality of life matters also. That is what we are here to talk about tonight as Members of Congress: improving the quality of life for families who desperately need our help. Approximately 50,000 Haitians hold TPS status, and 32,500 of them live in Florida. 18,800 U.S.-born children in Florida have Haitian parents who are TPS holders. How did we get here, Mr. Speaker?…”