Political Quotes

“Madam President, if I may, I hold the floor, if I am not mistaken. I just have a couple concluding comments and then I will turn it back over. What we need to do is learn the lesson that we learned in 2005 and 2006. In talking with Secretary Johnson, he understands this problem very well. I know the Senator from Arizona remembers this. In 2005, we saw a surge of what were at the time called OTMs, immigrants from countries other than Mexico. Strangely enough, we saw a surge of 30,000 Brazilians who were detained at our southwestern border. What Secretary Chertoff came to learn is that a loophole they were exporting was the so-called catch and release at the time. They did not have detention facilities. What would be done is they would be released, essentially based on their own recognizance, and we would never hear from them again. They would escape into the great American landscape. Well, the same phenomenon is happening now with these unaccompanied children because of that 2008 law that needs to be addressed so that they will remain in protective custody pending any court hearing, which we would give on an expedited basis. If they have a legal claim to stay, an asylum claim, a victim of human trafficking and the like, then the judge would determine that. And those who do not would have to be returned to their home country. I think I heard the President say as much today. I certainly have heard Secretary Johnson and others say the same thing.…”