Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, last week I joined my colleagues from all corners of the country on a trip to the southern border to El Paso, hosted by my good friend, Congresswoman Escobar. This wasn't my first trip to the border. Before coming to Congress, I worked on this issue for close to 20 years as a social worker, walking alongside immigrants and refugees who were new to this country, also as an attorney for the United States Department of Justice enforcing our immigration laws at the Nation's highest law enforcement agency. I also worked at a community legal aid organization in west Michigan. I have also helped employers try to get the workers that they need. I have worked on all aspects of this issue. What I saw on the border was truly horrific. We are in a crisis mode. During our trip we talked to Border Patrol agents, we met with individuals at holding facilities, talked to the immigrants themselves, and we talked to humanitarian aid workers. Across the board everyone was unified in this one belief: the border is broken. Our immigration system is broken. There has never been a more important time to come together with bipartisan solutions to fix it. There is truly a crisis at our border. It is a humanitarian nightmare, a national security red alarm, and an economic disaster. We visited a holding facility just outside of El Paso.…”