Speech #1140061903

But instead. this normal weekendor what was supposed to be a normal weekend of fishing for Javier and his familyturned deadly. Who were the killers? They were two illegal immigrant criminals who had repeatedly violated our laws. and by that I dont mean they just entered the country without the appropriate visa. Both had been deported multiple times but managed to repeatedly find their way back into the country. even after committing a long list of crimes. In fact. according to some witnesses. these two men had been terrorizing the community for months. committing armed robberies and carjackings. and. clearly. they were capable of attacking and killing a hardworking father on a fishing trip with his family. This is a difficult topic for some because some people would like to mischaracterize what we are trying to do with this legislation as somehow being antiimmigrant. But indeed. legal immigrants and people who live in the communities along South Texasmany of them have had family members come here from Mexico and elsewhere over the yearsrecognize how much people who illegally enter the country and commit multiple crimes can terrorize communities and victimize the very people whom those who block this legislation say they want to protect. I dont raise this issue or this story lightly. but the country should know that for the family of Javier Vega. Jr.. this is their reality. Illegal immigrant criminals who were deported multiple times attacked them and killed their sontheir father. their brother. and their friend. Their lives will never be the same. A number of our colleagues voted to block our ability to even consider this important legislation that seeks to merely enforce existing Federal law and to defund those jurisdictions that defy Federal law. and this is the consequence of doing nothingpeople like Javier Vega. Jr.. being victimized by criminals who violate our laws over and over and over. and when we catch them and they are deported. they simply come back into the country and victimize more people and more communities and kill people like Javier Vega. Jr. The lives of the Vega family will never be the same. and I know they dont want other families in Texas or elsewhere around the country to have to suffer like they have suffered.