Speech #1130114277

This one change would hand repressive regimes like North Korea with an easy way to block the United States from helping those seeking to escape that countrycharge and convict them of a felon. A Sudanese woman was sentenced to death for being a Christianwould this Congress bar her entry into the United States? The bill makes the wrong decision on border security by sending the National Guard support for border operationsH.R. 5230 would deploy National Guard under Title 32 Status. National Guard troops with this change may be assigned duties as deemed necessary to provide assistance in operations. with priority given to high traffic areas experiencing the highest number of crossing by unaccompanied children. Sending armed soldiers to greet children escaping violenceMr. Speaker what is the leadership thinking? These children need our help not frightening images of more adults with guns. The bill denies safe shelter to children through its sense of Congressthe states that the Secretary of Defense should not be allowed to shelter unaccompanied children or other migrants unless certain conditions are met. The military and the administration are well aware of the conditions that are acceptable for children and this Congress should provide what is needed so that their needs can be met. This bill does too little to actually help the thousands of children who are awaiting immigration hearings. They are victims of human trafficking. sexual violence. and witnesses to murders as well as acts of violence against other children who took that dangerous trek to the United States. We should be focused on learning what they know and what they experienced to be sure the guilty are found and punished. I offered. along with several other members of the House amendments in attempts to improve the bill. but all were rejected by the Rules Committee. which chose to place H.R. 5230 before the House in the form of a closed rule. The Jackson Lee Amendment would have authorized designated federal agencies to reimburse State and local governments and private nonprofit organizations for the costs incurred in providing psychological counseling. housing. education. medicine and medical care. food and water. clothes. personal hygiene and other indispensable consumables. other human services in response to the humanitarian crisis on the Southwest Border. This Congress has had the Senates version of a Comprehensive Immigration reform bill for nearly a year. without accomplishing the task of taking up the issue and passing a House version. Our nations immigration system is broken and needs reform. but the only attempt at addressing immigration into the United States is this bill that is being presented as an appropriations bill. H.R. 5230 is not an appropriations bill it is an immigration reform bill. which covers the jurisdictions of the two committees I serve onthe House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. Neither of these committees were given the opportunity to hold hearings or make the needed changes to the bill to make sure it conforms with long standing policies relating to unaccompanied minor or issues related to refugees. The Jackson Lee amendment would have helped nonprofits. local and state governments in all of the 50 states who are now providing assistance to the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors within the United States. The message has gotten to families in El Salvador.