Political Quotes

“I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary for his tremendous work and leadership on bringing these important issues to the floor. I am very proud that the House is considering my bill today, the Access to Counsel Act, H.R. 5581. It is a commonsense measure that would ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other people with legal status are able to consult with an attorney when Customs and Border Protection detains them for over an hour. I introduced this bill, Madam Speaker, as my first bill when I got to Congress, and it was in the wake of the Muslim ban. It was in the wake of that chaos that was unleashed at airports across the country as people from seven Muslim-majority countries found themselves detained for hours, in some cases pressured to sign papers giving up their legal status, and in many cases deported. More often than not, these people did not even have the opportunity to see an attorney or even call anyone. They did not even have the opportunity to use the restrooms or to get water and food. Since then, however, Madam Speaker--it isn't just that moment--there have been numerous cases of students detained for long periods at airports and sent back, despite holding valid visas secured after undergoing rigorous vetting by the State Department. One student was detained and deported in spite of a court order saying that he should be allowed to stay until a court could review his case.…”