Although I didn't
recognize him at first, I remembered that
a president of a university in Iraq, whom I know, once told me about a
Yazidi student who had become class valedictorian of that university;
so I began to piece this story together. Nawaf arrived in America just last year. Following 18 months of
vetting, his wife was awarded a special visa about a week and a half
ago; but as Nawaf was explaining to me both with great composure and,
frankly, a certain sensitivity to our security concerns, he told me
that his wife, Laila, was barred from entry. Madam Speaker, immigration and refugee policy always involves a
difficult choice. A country has to consider first its absorption
capacity, the possibilities of assimilation, as well as the necessity
of those coming to accept the values of the host country's. I think a
review of this policy or of these principles--a review of what has
happened in Europe--actually sheds some light. For example, Germany recklessly threw open its borders recently, and
a wave of persons--many young, single men--entered the country,
sparking an uptick in crime and violence and, possibly, the conditions
for more terrorist attacks. Confusion continues as to who is where, and
the German Government's rapidly considered and naive refugee policy has
unwittingly created an anti-immigration backlash and political turmoil. Madam Speaker, the immigration and refugee movement should always be
a means of last resort. Everyone can't come to the West. Rather, it is
the responsibility of governments around the world to create the
conditions in which people can live securely. If that breaks down, as a
first order response, robust humanitarian assistance and repositioning
persons in nearby safe zones creates the possibility of a right of
return and avoids the trauma of uprooting persons from their homes and
their cultures. Madam Speaker, with all of the complex considerations surrounding
immigration, though, it is important to remember that we are not
dealing with statistics, that we are not dealing with some remote
geopolitical policy, but that we are dealing with the lives of real
persons. So, happily, last Friday morning, after my office successfully
worked on the case, Laila arrived, and with open arms and flowers,
Nawaf, her husband, welcomed her to America. Madam Speaker, given now that the executive order has been put on a
temporary halt as the administration goes through the appeals process,
I also think it is appropriate to pause and speak about the broader
issues at stake here--what it means to be a nation and what it means to
have a binding narrative as a people.
Identified stereotypes
Germany recklessly opened its borders, leading to crime, violence, and terrorism due to an influx of young, single men.
Keywords matched
immigration refugee visa anti-immigration