Speech #CREC-2017-12-12-pt1-PgS7965-3_t4

In 1881, he was elected to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate. In 1882, this Irish immigrant, a man who became a king because of the Comstock Lode, turned his back on other immigrants, and he voted in favor of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese Exclusion Act was a watershed moment in the history of American immigration policy because it was the first time the Federal Government restricted immigration on the basis of race. I tell you this story because, to me, the Chinese Exclusion Act exemplifies a vicious truth--that immigrants and their descendants are often the ones fighting to keep the next generation of immigrants out. Sadly, this Congress--a group that includes many descendants of immigrants--is in danger of making the same mistake. When are we going to acknowledge what basic economics, history, and scientific research have always proven to be true; that immigrants make our economy stronger, that immigrants come to our country and start businesses, apply for patents, create jobs, and invent technologies that change our world. The 800,000 Dreamers in this country don't want special treatment. They want the chance to live their lives and do all of those things without the fear of deportation looming over their heads. We have a President who is not just refusing to give them that chance but actively spreading lies and hate about who they are. I wish I could say this xenophobia--this hate--is something we have never seen before, but anti-immigrant sentiment is nothing new. These attempts to shut our doors are as old as our Nation itself. We are a nation of immigrants. We are caught in a vicious cycle. We look to our ancestors for inspiration. We benefit from the contributions of immigrants, but every generation, we default to the arrogance of power and treat immigrants as scapegoats and shut them out. A teacher from Sparks, NV, recently contacted my office to share the fear and uncertainty kids and families are feeling right now. David wrote: I teach music at Diedrichsen Elementary School in Sparks, and my wife is the Assistant Principal at Desert Heights Elementary in Stead. . . . We are seeing an increase in stress, acting-out behaviors and absences in our students from immigrant families. Another friend of mine who teaches at a school with a large immigrant population has told me about days when large numbers of children are absent because of rumors of raids by ICE. These are the consequences of using immigrants as scapegoats. We are facing another watershed moment in our country's history. People will ask: Where were you when Dreamers' lives were hanging in the balance?