As Members of Congress, protecting our Nation and the American public
is our greatest responsibility. It is our obligation to act in their
best interest and to invest their tax dollars wisely. If the only
Homeland Security item in this bill remains the funding for 74 miles of
border wall, we will fail to meet our obligations. Unfortunately, the President's border wall is now a proxy for the
broader immigration debate. There is a false and misleading assumption
that building a border wall will solve the immigration challenges we
face. The reality is we will never be able to fix our broken
immigration system with an enforcement-only approach that turns a blind
eye to the desperate circumstances that compels so many to make the
often deadly journey to the U.S. We will never be able to address our immigration challenges by
treating as criminals the millions of undocumented people in this
country, many of whom are our neighbors and friends. For years or even decades, the vast majority have called the U.S.
their home. They have paid their taxes, acted responsibly, contributed
to their communities, and worked hard to provide opportunity for their
family. Immigration enforcement is as much a moral issue as it is a legal
one. Our Statue of Liberty has always been a welcoming symbol of hope
for those who, like now, are fleeing poverty, oppression, famine, war,
and violence in their home country. Many of our ancestors come from
somewhere else, often within certain legal status, and made significant
contributions to help our country become the greatest in the world. Today's immigrants continue to contribute to that noble legacy. What we truly need is comprehensive immigration reform that protects
our homeland and reflects our American values. Democrats stand ready to
work with Republicans to achieve that goal, but Democrats will not
support the use of taxpayer dollars for an ill-conceived border wall
that has more to do with a campaign promise than the security of our
homeland. In spite of the President's assurances, Mexico is not paying for this
wall. The American taxpayer is.
Keywords matched
immigration undocumented immigrants border wall Immigration