Madam Speaker, I thank the esteemed congressman from Texas, who has been quite a champion on this issue. Madam Speaker, no nation in the history of the world has been more welcoming to immigrants than the United States. And no nation in…
Madam Speaker, I thank the esteemed congressman from Texas, who has been quite a champion on this issue.
Madam Speaker, no nation in the history of the world has been more welcoming to immigrants than the United States. And no nation in the history of the world is more diverse or has provided more opportunity for people of all races and ethnic backgrounds than the United States.
That is why millions of immigrants of all races and ethnicities are seeking to come to America. In fact, billions of the world's 7 billion non-U.S. population would come here, undoubtedly, if they could.
I sincerely believe that most Americans, if not most elected officials, understand that the lack of an effective immigration policy is one of the most important threats to our country. However, President Biden's decision to reverse the Trump policies that successfully secured our border is dangerous to the future of our Nation and driven solely by a need to pander to the left.
Make no mistake, President Biden's policies created this very crisis today, his promise of amnesty made it worse, and his administration is now ignoring it.
You would think in the absence of leadership, Congress would try to step in and address the Biden border surge crisis.
Instead, we are expecting to take up two liberal amnesty bills in the House this upcoming week, including H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act.
H.R. 6 would provide amnesty to roughly three million people, which would be a slap in the face to everyone who ever has or currently is navigating our legal immigration system.
Even worse, it would incentivize more illegal immigration at a time
when we have no operational control of our southern border.
Even more bizarre, this bill allows for criminal aliens, people who have committed crimes in American communities, to be eligible for amnesty.
The bill specifically allows for an individual who has committed up to two misdemeanors or one crime of moral turpitude to gain a pathway to legal status.
Some may say, well, misdemeanors aren't that serious. Well, here are a few examples of crimes that are only misdemeanors in States such as California: Domestic violence, prostitution, drunk driving.
Worst of all, this legislation provides a waiver for people who would technically not otherwise qualify for this amnesty. This waiver specifically covers: Human smuggling offenses, voter fraud offenses, and communicable diseases.
I urge this Congress not to worsen this crisis, and to instead debate legislation that makes America safer and honors our legal immigrants.
Instead of providing amnesty to criminals, we should debate my legislation, H.R. 398, the No Asylum for Criminals Act, which would prohibit dangerous criminals from qualifying for asylum in the U.S.
When it comes to legal immigration, people of good faith can debate on what overall immigration levels are prudent for our country, how to best balance the needs of American citizens with the desire of immigrants who are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their family, how to cultivate patriotic assimilation, how to protect jobs for American workers while providing labor for our businesses, and the merits, or the lack thereof, of issues such as chain migration, birthright citizenship, diversity visas, and other unique features of America's immigration system.
But there should be no debate on the rule of law. We should be united and bipartisan on the critical importance of enforcing our laws and eliminating illegal immigration.
There is simply no honest debate regarding the fact that barriers, whether walls or fences, work. Just look around D.C. to see confirmation that our House Democratic leadership believes this.
There should be no debate regarding the fact that illegal immigration is a significant threat to our national security, our economic security, and our health security.
Illegal immigration further burdens our economy, our social services, our healthcare system, and our education system.
Illegal immigration also enriches Mexico's organized crime and the cartels that control everyone and everything that comes across the southern border.
The individuals illegally coming across our southern border suffer dangerous and sometimes deadly hardships and are often victimized by the Mexican cartels.
Individuals who cannot afford to pay the smugglers are often extorted into carrying drugs and other illicit material into the U.S. Others are abused as indentured servants to the cartels if they make it across. Many must live the rest of their lives with existential threats to themselves and their families.
Moreover, illegal immigration places our law enforcement and our citizens living near the border in immediate danger when drugs and other preventable materials are smuggled across the border with impunity. We are risking turning every community into a border town and making our Nation a sanctuary Nation.
We must commit to completing the wall, enforcing our existing laws, ending catch and release, requiring mandatory E-Verify, fixing our biometric entry/exit systems, and taking amnesty, unlawful employment, and citizenship off the table.
The future of our country is clearly at stake with how we manage or don't manage immigration.