Speech #CREC-2017-02-06-pt3-PgS873-2_t27

It is not a good thing for Hispanics in the South. It may be a good thing for the people who wrote those discriminatory laws, but it is not a good thing for those who are trying to vote who have witnessed and lived through decades of discrimination. Let me talk about Senator Sessions' record on immigration. In 2007, Senator Sessions referred to a comprehensive immigration reform bill as ``terrorist assistance.'' He has been a leading voice in Congress in arguing against immigration reform. In two decades in the Senate, Senator Sessions has opposed every single immigration bill that has included a pathway to citizenship. He has favored, similar to President Trump, an ideological test for admission to the United States. He said this: Immigration policy must be guided by our understanding that western society is unique and special. Our values, our rules, our traditions are what make our society succeed where others fail. It is necessary and proper to choose who among the world's 7 billion people will be granted the high honor of immigration to the United States on the basis of confidence that they share our values. That is a radical idea. Why don't we think about that for a second. The Attorney General of the United States will make important decisions about the enforcement of immigration law in this country. Much of what happens in immigration policy happens in the Department of Homeland Security, but the Attorney General makes important decisions about upholding the law on immigration policy, and we are about to vote to confirm a Member of this body who has said that there should be an ideological test for admission to the United States and that you have to share our values. I don't know what that means, but the greatness of the United States is based on the fact that we have been able to bring people from a variety of different backgrounds, a variety of different value sets, a variety of different religions--bring them into this country and allow them to keep part of their heritage, part of their belief system from the places they came from, whether they be Ireland or England or China or Mexico, and then also assimilate into the whole and adopt part of this country's short history of tradition over the last 240 years. What makes America great is that we allow people to bring values different from ours into this country, which in turn strengthens our collective set of values. We are constantly challenging ourselves with new ideas, with new perspectives. Senator Sessions has been an opponent of Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. This is commonly referred to as DACA--the idea that if you are a child who came to this country when you were very young, knowing nothing other than the United States, an American in name if not legal status, then you should be able to stay in this country. It is cruel and inhumane to take a young man or woman who came to this country when they were 3 or 4 years old and send them back to their country of birth, and I think Democrats and Republicans of goodwill generally agree, if not on the broad aspects of the pathway to citizenship, that for these kids, these DREAMers as they call them, they should be able to stay in the United States. Senator Sessions has vigorously opposed this policy and many DACA-protected immigrants now fear deportation under a Department of Justice that is led by Senator Sessions. His conduct tells us that he opposes protections for young men and women who know nothing other than the United States and want simply to have a shot with the American dream. That conduct is relevant to whether he is qualified to be Attorney General.