Speech #1130113985

This bill is irresponsible because it seeks to prevent trained. experienced. and professional agents and prosecutors from exercising their discretion and acting on the basis of what everyone knows to be true: that there is a vast difference between a terrorist bent on harming America and a DREAM Act kid studying hard in school so he or she can graduate. join the Armed Services and willingly risk his or her life to defend the country. or go to work to support his or her family. This inefficient use of resources wastes taxpayer dollars and does nothing to keep America safe. This bill is meanspirited because it would have ICE target its limited resources on innocent. law abiding. young people who were brought to this country as children and would have them deported to a foreign land even though America is the country they may know as home and the only one to which they may have ever pledged allegiance. Mr. Speaker. I traveled many times to Iraq and Afghanistan and always the highlight of my visit was meeting the young men and women who were willingly risking their lives to defend the country they love more than life. More than 5.000 of the soldiers who fought for us in Afghanistan and Iraq were not yet American citizens but DREAMers who dreamed that one day they might become citizens of the nation they gladly risked their lives to defend. Instead of honoring their service. this heartless bill before us crushes their dream by forcing ICE agents and prosecutors to pretend that there is no difference between one of these veterans who came to this country as an undocumented immigrant and an alien engaged in or suspected of espionage or terrorism. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5272 also wastes the money of hardworking taxpayers and does nothing to make America safer. and eliminates a fair and just policy legal under the Presidents executive authority which allows for relief for young children who have been in America for a certain number of years. follow certain requirements and may be deferred from deportation to serve in the U.S. military. go to school and contribute to America. And. just as bad. it is inconsistent with American values of justice and fair play. We must address our broken immigration system through comprehensive reform rather than extinguish Ms. Libertys lamp of freedom or close her Golden Door. We are better than that and I urge all Members to join me in rejecting this terrible legislation.