Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, whether socialism, a Twitch streamer, working-class candidates, or immigrants, my colleagues believe that there is always a bogeyman to condemn.

Let's get into it. What are the actual positions they feel that we must denounce today? Is it every family having access to affordable, quality healthcare, housing, or education; or is it maybe working people retiring with dignity; families earning enough from just one job so they can put food on their table, a roof over their head, and keep the lights on; or our dollars staying in our communities and not being used to bomb children and destabilize countries across the world?

Today, my colleagues thought it was a good use of people's time to come back after the August work period to come after a working people's platform and the people working to make that platform a reality.

Do you know why? They are afraid to get honest about who they really work for here. Spoiler alert: It is not working people. That is okay because we have their vote records to tell us who they represent.

They cut your Medicaid because they work for Big Pharma and for- profit insurance providers. They won't pass the stock trading bill because they work for Wall Street and the venture capitalists. They won't end mass detention or take on the criminal legal system reform because they work for for-profit prisons. They won't end wars and genocide because they work for defense contractors. They won't assert their authority because they work for authoritarians and fascists.

As long as they and their bosses profit from the policies of racism, colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, they don't care if you are sick, starving, deported, detained, or even dead.

I bet that they take issue with those of us who are standing in their way. Bottom line, my colleagues are afraid of the American people seeing through their cowardice, greed, and lust for power.

Every day, more Americans are courageously sharing their truth. The truth is that the current system we have right now doesn't work for them. It doesn't reflect our values, and it does not serve working people. It is why it is more important than ever that we don't just fight back. We are not actually lowering the cost of living right now. We are denouncing a resolution that, frankly, you have because you are so afraid of working-class people coming to the next Congress.

Let me be clear: Not only do I call on my colleagues to vote against this stupid resolution, as I just heard a moment ago, but also to put this much energy into creating a world, a system, that actually works for working people.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 228, and YEA on Roll Call No. 229.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Beatrice Lumpkin, who passed away June 14, 2026, at the age of 107 years. Bea was the living, marching, fighting embodiment of solidarity forever.

Many of us know Bea because of her unwavering commitment to worker power, civil rights, and educational justice. A Chicago Public Schools educator and leader with the Chicago Teachers Union, Bea was a fixture at marches, rallies, and picket lines across our city.

She started her activism early. At the age of 9, she marched with striking textile workers. Across her century of activism, Bea was on the front lines of the struggle for justice and equity. From marching alongside Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Marquette Park, to being instrumental in Harold Washington's campaign for mayor 43 years ago, to supporting the recent unionization of Starbucks employees, Bea showed up for her neighbors, for Chicago, and for our movement.

In 2018, my colleague, Representative Jan Schakowsky, took to the floor to celebrate Bea's 100 years of fighting for justice and inspiring generations of activism.

Today, I rise to thank Bea for reminding us that there is joy in the struggle, in solidarity, and on the front lines of the fight for justice because joy, in fact, is an act of resistance.

On behalf of Chicago's Third Congressional District, I honor the memory and the life's work of Beatrice Lumpkin, a true champion for the working class and a giant in our movement.

Honoring Jae Jin Pak and Timotheus Gordon, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jae Jin Pak and Timotheus Gordon, Jr., two leaders who cofounded the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition and who serve as research associates at the Institute on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Throughout their careers, they have dedicated themselves to unifying disabled, autistic, deaf, and neurodivergent people of color, fostering collective pride, strengthening advocacy skills across our communities, and building intersectional solidarity.

Through the arts, culture, and relentless advocacy, they champion disability justice, advancing the principles of accessibility and radical inclusion within communities of color.

By cultivating brave spaces that center the lived experiences of disabled people of color, they dismantle systemic barriers to inclusion and empower individuals to forge their own path to reclaim their identities and their dignity.

They are the architects of a more inclusive, equitable Chicago.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my proud honor to be able to commend Jae Jin Pak and Timotheus Gordon, Jr., for their dedication to disability justice, radical inclusion, and the innate dignity of all people.

Recognizing Sovereignty for Puerto Rico

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Chicago Young Lords and their protests of 1969, the first marches for Puerto Rican self-determination in Chicago's history.

It is fitting that I honor a revolutionary organization fighting for Puerto Rican liberation and the rights of all oppressed people on the eve of our 250th anniversary of the United States of America. While America will declare its commitment to no kings, we also must demand no colonies.

That is because 57 years after the summer of 1969, 57 years after Jose Jimenez traveled to Puerto Rico to visit the shrine of its nationalist leader, Don Pedro Albizu Campos, 57 years after the Chicago Young Lords mobilized 10,000 people to march carrying Don Pedro Albizu Campos signs from Lincoln Park to Humboldt Park in support of independence in Chicago's Puerto Rican parade, Puerto Rico is still a United States colony.

We cannot celebrate 250 years of freedom while ruling a colony for 128 of them. We cannot celebrate our independence while denying the Puerto Rican people the dignity of self-determination.

That is why, here on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I publicly commend the Young Lords for teaching us that when we support Puerto Rico's self-determination, we are supporting, in fact, the right of sovereignty for people everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I am proudly on this House floor going to talk about what brings me to this place.

Yes, I am the Congresswoman of Illinois' Third Congressional District. I am also the proud daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. I am a citizen by birthright. I am the wife of an incredible man who until recently was a DACA recipient, a Dreamer, and Congresista from a welcoming city, State, and district.

We know the story of our Nation wouldn't be complete without the joy, without the sweat, and without the struggles and resilience of those who, whether a couple of generations ago or 1 year ago, came to this country in search of safety, security, and opportunity.

Whether arriving through the southern border like my mother did 43 years ago or welcomed by the Mother of Exiles, the Statue of Liberty, like the ancestors of so many Members of Congress that I serve with, including the man in the Oval Office, our country has represented hopeful new beginnings for so many. Yet, too many have forgotten these histories.

As this country approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, I rise during Immigrant Heritage Month asking us to reflect on this country's history, on this country's story, our progress and our failures, and our enduring but not yet fulfilled commitment to the principles of liberty and justice for all.

When a government fails to secure these rights and liberties for all people, regardless of legal status, origin, nationality, religion, or economic condition, it is, in fact, the responsibility of Members of Congress to challenge and transform systems that deny our communities dignity and justice.

I am clear that we have not yet fully realized our country's founding ideals.

The policies passed by this body and the powers seized by Trump's administration have created barriers and hardships for asylum seekers, for refugees, and all immigrant communities, including conditions that undermine internationally recognized human rights and constitutional protections.

When the administration is unwilling to uphold our commitments to human rights and obligations under the Constitution, Members of Congress in this body must act. We must meet the moment, and we must legislate. Because we know that immigrant communities make significant social, cultural, economic, and civic contributions to our country, strengthening and enriching our collective future.

The 250th anniversary of America serves not only as a commemoration but also as a choice point. We can choose to honor the contributions of immigrants by bringing 11 million people out of the shadows. We can choose to recognize our shared commitment to never again turn our backs on those seeking refuge and safety. We can choose to create pathways to citizenship for DACA recipients, who have been in this country since the age of 2 who know no other country other than this one as their own, and those that are TPS holders and in mixed-status families.

We can choose to renew our commitment to building a more inclusive, equitable, and united future for all who call the United States home, or we can allow Trump and this administration to continue terrorizing our communities, denying relief, violating protections, and certainly separating the families that my colleague just a moment ago bragged about being the party of families.

Here is the thing: I know where I stand, and I know where Trump, Noem, and now Markwayne, Homan, Miller, and Republicans in Congress stand. Trump and his cronies want to define who gets to be American and who is not American enough for them. He wants to define who is worthy of stability, of safety, of security, of opportunity, and who gets to be included in our Nation's founding ideals.

I, on this House floor, reject his white supremacist, xenophobic, bigoted agenda. It is important for us as Members of Congress to continue to fight for the opportunity that this Nation represents for so many of us like the opportunity to buy the first pair of shoes for your children, the opportunity to receive an education, to get a family-sustaining job, to establish a small business, and, for me, to become the very first Latina in the entire Midwest to serve in Congress.

I am the daughter of Maria Elvira Ramirez Guerra, a ``powerful''; ``poderosa'' woman ``that fought for me''; ``que lucho por mi,'' and carried that legacy that I get to carry now every single day in these Halls of Congress.

For us on Immigrant Heritage Month and in this Special Order hour, it is important as Members of Congress, those of us who are unapologetically children of immigrants, to remind everyone that our experiences, that the experience of refugees, that the experience of immigrants are also part of this Nation.

We belong, and we will not let anyone tell us that we are not the inheritors of the promise of America, just like so many of my colleagues' ancestors were for them.

Today, I say no bans, no walls, no raids, no kidnappings, no masked agents terrorizing our communities, no military attacking our neighbors, and no authoritarians in the Oval Office. ``Period''; ``Punto.''

Mr. Speaker, I will yield to some of my colleagues who will recognize and uplift the stories of the immigrant communities they represent and hold President Trump and Republicans accountable for the continued attacks on our immigrant communities.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).

Mr. Speaker, I want to echo something that Ms. Tokuda said that I often remind my colleagues at Homeland Security as they continue to vilify immigrants: Unless you are indigenous, or you were forced to come here, you, too, are an immigrant. Whether your family came in the 1800s or the early 1900s, we must not forget that this country is built by immigrants. Yet, so many people have such a short memory of history.

Immigrants are, in fact, the story of this country. To talk a little bit more about that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Jayapal).

Mr. Speaker, who are we as a nation? I thank Congresswoman Jayapal for powerfully reminding us that we cannot talk about having ideals and being a country that stands up for children and opportunity, and continue to dismiss those who contribute every single day in making that reality.

To continue this conversation around the contributions and the impact that immigrants make every single day in this Nation, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), one of my colleagues who has been at the forefront, really pushing back on all the terror that we are seeing around the country, whether it is in detention, whether it is in the abductions that are happening on the ground, or if it is at check-ins and making sure that people feel safe to go to court.

We are a nation of immigrants, and, unfortunately, many of our colleagues have forgotten that.

I do wonder if their grandparents when they came to this country, whether they were 5, whether they were 12, whether they were 17, if they were alive today, what would they say about their grandchildren that forgot the struggle and the challenges and what they needed when their grandparents came to this country.

I wish to take a moment to honor people who exemplify the power of immigrant heritage as so many of my colleagues have done today in our Special Order hour, because I know that we have a President who has done everything in his power to vilify the immigrant community, to call them criminals, to call them all sorts of other names, to negate their humanity, and forget about the names, the faces of women, of children, of hardworking people that, in fact, contribute to this community, to this country every single day.

Honoring Dr. Gladys Fatima Marquez

Today, I rise to honor Dr. Gladys Fatima Marquez. Gladys is a high school bilingual English language learners teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience. She is also on the National Education Association's executive committee. She is a member and a past chair of the NEA Hispanic Caucus.

Gladys is the proud granddaughter of an immigrant from Zacatecas, Mexico. Her grandfather was a railroad worker on the Rock Island for 10 years before he was able to bring his family from Zacatecas in the 1960s.

Gladys' mother came here at the age of 13 and struggled to feel as though she belonged, especially at school. She, like thousands of other immigrant students, left school to join the workforce, taking a minimum wage factory job.

Her mother's experience inflamed her life's passion. Gladys worked to ensure every student believes in themselves, in their heritage, in who they are, and that they know that they can, in fact, achieve their dreams.

In addition to changing the world one child at a time, Gladys is a fierce advocate and defender of our immigrant neighbors. She has organized teach-ins at immigration detention centers, humanitarian missions to shelters at the border, and she has helped organize massive marches in protest of the national policy leading to separation of immigrant families and the incarceration of immigrant children. She lobbied and led efforts to support DACA recipients, and she has helped facilitate countless know-your-rights clinics.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Dr. Gladys Fatima Marquez for her commitment to ensure that every member of our community, from our students and our immigrant neighbors, know that they belong.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Gladys.

Honoring Shaiska Malca

Mr. Speaker, I also rise to honor Shaiska Malca, a constituent of the Illinois Third Congressional District and an educator, children's book author, and entrepreneur.

Shaiska is a proud Panamanian immigrant and vice president of the DuPage Hispanic Alliance.

Inspired by her own multicultural family and her mother, who had her own impressive career in education, Shaiska founded Pura Vida Talk to nurture bilingualism in our communities.

Pura Vida Talk empowers children to embrace multiculturalism and build bridges across our communities.

Her work to share her culture and language encourages children across Illinois' Third Congressional District and beyond to become global citizens who appreciate and celebrate diversity; all while they are being equipped with the invaluable skill of bilingualism, a skill that I think is a superpower and more people should seek.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Shaiska Malca for reminding us of the strength we can find in connecting to our roots, our language, and our heritage.

I thank and congratulate Shaiska for her work.

Protecting All Children

Mr. Speaker, as we get closer to the end of the Special Order hour, I want to go back to the children because in the previous Special Order hour, my colleagues to the right talked a lot about children. They talked about protecting children, protecting humanity, protecting family, and protecting the fiber of what it is to be an American.

While I sigh because I sense the hypocrisy that came from that Special Order hour, I do know that growing up, I, in fact, was taught that we take care of the children and families in our community not just by words but through action. I learned that we must honor our shared humanity to ensure that children and families, in fact, get to thrive.

But right now, we are living in times where too many children and families are living the indignity and the trauma of inhumane processing centers, inhumane detention facilities, and family separation.

Mr. Speaker, since the start of the Trump administration, at least 50 people have died in ICE detention. More than 6,200 children--children-- have been arrested by ICE at traffic stops, home raids, routine check- in appointments, bus stops, hospitals, and airports. More than 100,000 children, including U.S. citizens, have been separated from their families through the Trump administration.

Mr. Speaker, these aren't just numbers. Every one of them is a beloved child that is being denied the ability to live a fulfilling life, a life where they get to really imagine who they can be.

I saw this terror and trauma firsthand when I visited Steven, my 14- year-old constituent with autism, and his father, Victor, who spent more than 60 days in Dilley's processing facility after being taken at an immigration check-in.

I saw it as he hugged me and he begged me to tell him that ICE would not detain him again and threaten him that he would never see his mother again as they did in that detention facility.

Mr. Speaker, I know the pain that families separated by a cruel, inhumane immigration system endure. Do you know why? It is because I watched as so many people around the world watched Kevin, my 18-year- old U.S. citizen constituent with stage IV terminal colon cancer cry, ``Mama, Mama,'' as he was finally reunited with his mother and father. His parents had been detained for 1 whole month in Arizona at a detention facility after they had asked for a humanitarian visa to come see their child one last time. You see, Kevin, after we finally were able to get his parents released, died hours after finally seeing his parents for one last time.

I think of Ofelia, my 15-year-old constituent, whose life was cut short by a rare and aggressive form of cancer, but she continued to fight one more battle. She fought to have her father's order of deportation canceled, ensuring he would no longer live in fear. You see,

she testified in court for her father, but less than 3 days later, Ofelia lost her battle to cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I get emotional because there is a hypocritical party who talks about children and families and standing up for them, but for some reason, Ofelia, Kevin, and Steven are not the kind of children they are willing to stand up for. They are United States citizen children, by the way.

Because I refuse to accept that we must endure these atrocities, we must reject the cruelty that is robbing our children and families of their future. Instead, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that children like Ofelia, like Steven, and like Kevin have everything they need to thrive.

Instead, we have children, until their dying moment, fighting for the livelihood of their parents. It is why I have said in the Committee on Homeland Security--and I am going to say it on this House floor--that we must abolish ICE. We must end immigrant detention, and we have to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security that under the premise of protecting us from domestic terrorism has abused our civil rights every single day and has killed U.S. citizens and more than 50 people this past year.

It is why I encourage my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of H.R. 7190, the Melt ICE Act, as a meaningful step forward. The reality is that I can't have colleagues here saying that all people are created equal, but somehow immigrants don't fit that definition.

I cannot stand here and hear a party talk about being pro-family but deny the livelihood for so many families.

Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, but I want to talk to you about what is happening to pregnant women in detention right now. For the party that says that they want to protect unborn life at all costs, why is it that immigrant women in detention don't fit that definition?

We must confront a painful but necessary truth: DHS' violence and immigration enforcement have denied immigrants the right to personhood. Immigration detention denies people access to reproductive healthcare and represents forms of government control over immigrant bodies.

Do you know how I know this? I know this because of a report that at least a dozen pregnant girls, some who are as young as 13 years of age, and at least half of whom got pregnant because they were raped, are being held right now in a facility in San Benito, Texas, funded by American taxpayer dollars; and a report that at least 400 pregnant women were deported between January 2025 and February 2026.

It is critical that we acknowledge that immigrant and reproductive justice is interconnected. Both immigrant and reproductive justice is rooted in a shared struggle against the structural systems of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, trans phobia, and economic oppression that police bodies and restrict bodily autonomy.

We must affirm the dignity and humanity of all people, including our immigrant neighbors, and condemn any policies that treat people as unworthy or inadequate of healthcare and fundamental rights or bodily autonomy.

Mr. Speaker, as I think about where we are in this precise moment, I want to invite my colleagues to remember what we said are the founding ideals of this country, because we cannot talk about standing up for injustice and continue to fund the injustice we are seeing around the country when it comes to our immigrant communities.

It is why I thank my colleagues who joined today's Special Order honoring Immigrant Heritage Month, and I want to close with this message: The question isn't whether change is possible. It is whether we have the courage to demand it. I cannot understand how some people here can think it is acceptable to terrorize children and then say that they are the ones fighting for children in the same sentence.

Shame on every person in this country who wants to lock up children in cages, who wants to lock up children and separate them from their loved ones and their communities. Shame on those who are willing to deny children air, sun, play, laughter, joy, and every single thing a little one needs to be able to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, President Mandela said: ``There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.''

This House has to reckon with the reality that when it comes to immigrant children, you should be ashamed of yourself in the way that you are operating. Incarcerating children is an evil, morally bankrupt practice that calls into question any commitment our Nation claims to have about their preciousness.

We must unleash our collective outrage. We must demand that no other children experience what Steven, what Liam, and the more than 3,800 children detained by ICE have endured.

So let's demand an end to mandatory detention, to private detention facilities that are profiting off of the pain of our children, to family detention, to warehouse detention, and to the profiting off our pain by corporate billionaires and campaign donors to the President.

And may we remember that every child is our child, and a fight for affordable housing, universal healthcare, climate resilience, humane immigration reform, thriving wages, labor rights is our fight, as well.

I reject a world where, during Immigrant Heritage Month, Palestinians in need of medical care cannot get visas to access care in the United States; where children grieve detained fathers on Father's Day; where deported sons are tortured in prisons in El Salvador; where children are held in U.S. for-profit detention centers; or where a mother in Durango, Mexico, cries in the lap of her dying 18-year-old son after being separated by a cruel and inhumane immigration system.

I refuse to accept that we must endure these atrocities. The suffering is too great. The pain is too great to bear.

So instead, Mr. Speaker, let us move forward with a loving wisdom that we are, in fact, precious and beloved; that we are bound together; that we belong to one another; and that every single child, regardless of legal status, is our child.

And may we honor our history by recognizing the human rights and constitutional protections afforded to all in this Nation and all those who seek refuge and protection.

I am ready to build that world together today, and to do so let's melt ICE, let's dismantle DHS because, frankly, Mr. Speaker, anything less is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate Jaquie Algee, a powerful and loving champion for justice, humanity, and solidarity.

As the daughter of civil rights activists from the south who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jaquie's political education began at home. She was raised on the stories of neighbors fighting side by side to defend their dignity and to realize their collective liberation. Those early lessons shaped her consciousness and became the foundation on which her impressive life's work is built.

For decades, Jaquie has organized people to build power, to demonstrate solidarity, and to stand up and fight back against injustice.

Whether as the board president and founding member of Chicago's Women's March, her work with the Poor People's Campaign, or her current service as the vice president of external relations for SEIU Healthcare, Jaquie has not only been on the front lines for some of the most significant struggles, but she is the light that has guided our movements with fierceness, joy, authenticity, and powerful love.

The work she holds closest to her heart unfolded over two decades ago after the murder of her son and only child, Kenneth. Kenneth was a victim of gun violence. As an assignment of love, Jaquie helped organize one of the biggest marches in the Nation's Capital that the Nation had ever seen: the Million Mom March on Mother's Day of 2000. In front of the White House, she held up Kenneth's picture, honored her son and every single child we have seen lost to gun violence.

For Algee, marching is a sacred act. When we march, we resist despair. When we stand up and press on, we demonstrate that we will keep fighting until we are, in fact, victorious. When we lock arms, we remember that we are not alone.

That is the gift of Jaquie Algee. For so many of us, she has motivated us to persist, to face the light, to never give up, and to hold out hope because we, in fact, are not alone. Whenever she can be, she is right next to us, arm in arm, marching on.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Jaquie Algee for her lifelong commitment to building the beloved community, championing civil and worker rights, and practicing solidarity across our intersections, across our identities, and across our issues.

I thank Jaquie Algee for being a spiritual mother for me. We know that all power is to the people.

Celebrating Life of Kevin Gonzalez

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Kevin Gonzalez, my 18-year-old constituent who was a U.S. citizen boy who lived his last few weeks of life fighting to be reunited with his parents, showing us all the power of love.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

Born in Chicago, Kevin was a U.S. citizen whose family was separated after his parents, Isidoro and Norma Anabel, were deported to Mexico. To keep their family together, Kevin moved to Mexico. But during a recent visit to Chicago, he became ill, was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, and began undergoing treatment.

After Kevin stopped responding to treatment, his parents sought permission to travel to the U.S. to see their son. Their visas were denied by DHS. Desperate to reach their son, they tried to return to him the only way they knew: by crossing the border. But instead of being reunited, they were detained by CBP for a month.

That is when Kevin showed us the power of love. He fought--even as he lay dying--to be reunited with his parents. He spoke out. And while a community came around him to reunite him with his parents, Kevin's love kept him alive until he could see them one more time. He waited for them. And he passed away less than 24 hours after reuniting with them.

Kevin's example invites us to love one another in a way that defies borders and death and authoritarians and all those who would separate our families and seek our destruction.

So, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Kevin Gonzalez. May we honor his memory by fighting for a more compassionate and just world that honors our shared humanity and dignity.

May Kevin rest in power. I thank him for showing us the power of love, the power of a boy who just wanted to be reunited with his parents one last time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Laura Garza, an immigrant leader who has dedicated her career to remind us that workers' rights are immigrant rights.

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Laura Garza has made Chicago, where she has organized and built coalitions for over 30 years, her home.

From leading organizations like Arise Chicago and SEIU Local 1, to founding the SEIU International Latino Caucus, Laura has fought to uplift all workers and their families no matter their ZIP Code, no matter their background, or citizenship status.

Her advocacy and leadership helped realize the Deferred Action For Labor Enforcement program, delivering temporary protection, stability, and opportunities for over 1,000 immigrant workers.

As immigrant workers across the country are under attack, Laura reminds us that worker solidarity will, in fact, protect us.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Laura Garza for blazing trails, leading with intersectional solidarity, and building worker power for all of us.

Congratulations, Laura.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join human rights defenders across the world to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ruth Eleonora Lopez, who has been held in pretrial detention for over 1 year without any due process and without access to her family or even her lawyer.

A Salvadoran lawyer and human rights defender, Ruth is a political prisoner, unjustly targeted for her tireless fight against corruption and her demands for justice, accountability, and transparency from Bukele's government in El Salvador.

Authoritarians want to strike fear into our hearts. They want to punish dissent, and they want to criminalize those who would be willing to speak truth to power. But we will not concede the power of the people, and we will not be silent.

I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Ruth Lopez, her family, and human rights defenders. I say to them that they are not alone. We are with them, and we will not forget them.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to rise to point out the hypocrisy of those who would claim to care about our children while turning a blind eye to the scale of child suffering inflicted by Trump and Netanyahu's unlawful, unaccountable military operations in Lebanon. And, yes, I did say Trump and Netanyahu's military operations.

While Netanyahu may be dropping the bombs, those operations are blessed by Trump, and the bombs are provided courtesy of the United States Government.

Israeli-executed, U.S.-approved strikes have killed more than 3,400 people, including 240 children.

UNICEF reports that 11 Lebanese children are killed or injured every single day.

Over a million civilians have been displaced. Nearly a quarter of Lebanon's entire population does not have enough to eat.

We are watching another catastrophe of U.S. complicity in destruction, displacement, and death unfold.

Trump, Hegseth, and Netanyahu launched an unlawful war in Iran to remain in power and enrich themselves. Let's be clear: Trump, Hegseth, and Netanyahu will keep expanding their war to further consolidate their power and profit and to stay in power.

My colleagues in Congress have enabled their abuses. They have watched children die, whether it is in Palestine, Iran, or Lebanon, and they have shrugged off requests for action because it is complicated.

What is complicated about this? It is not. The President of the United States is waging an unlawful war, aiding and abetting Israel to violate U.S. and international law, and it is making his friends rich and himself richer, all while children are starving. They are suffering, and they are dying. It is not complicated. It is actually grotesque.

Bottom line: Whether it is Lebanon, Gaza, or Iran, the United States and Israel are violating U.S. and international law, and this Congress has failed to stop them.

But impunity cannot and should not be an option. There shouldn't be more excuses, more endless wars, more blank checks for warmongers paid for by the suffering of children.

It is why Representative Tlaib and I introduced the Lebanon War Powers Resolution--to force Congress to vote, assert our constitutional authority, and end the complicity and unlawful military operations and wars.

Let me end by saying this: Let me make sure I look at you, my colleague here on the right. We cannot bomb our way to peace. True safety is not realized at the end of a barrel of a gun, by a bomb, or via choke hold of suppression or oppression.

I urge my colleagues to support this War Powers Resolution, and I also encourage you to join the Block the Bombs Act.

It is his time.

I want to make sure that we no longer are using our authority, our bombs, our resources to bomb children. That is what I want to do. I want to make sure that money is going to healthcare, housing, education--

You are having a different debate here, but let me come back to what the Congresswoman just mentioned, too. If you look at the legislation--

--that Congresswoman Tlaib introduced, clearly, pursuant to section 5(c), it shows you that unless--

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the educators of Chicago High School for the Arts, known across our city as ChiArts, located in Illinois' Third.

As Chicago's first and only public arts high school, ChiArts develops the next generation of diverse artists, while preparing our students with the comprehensive education for the next steps in their life.

The teachers of ChiArts believe that the arts belong to everyone, regardless of background, ZIP Code, or status. Thanks to their leadership and thanks to their organizing, ChiArts remains open today.

Like many public schools around the country, ChiArts faced the threat of closure last year, but it was the teachers who organized the Save ChiArts

campaign, alongside parents and community leaders, to protect this gem in our community.

Today, as ChiArts faces new threats to its unique existence, teachers and parents are organizing to protect their school: a center where our young artists can grow, our young artists can learn, guided by teachers and artists who believe in the power of art to bring our communities together.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my sincere honor to commend the ``teachers,'' ``maestras'' of ChiArts for their unwavering commitment to Chicago's young people and to public, quality education for all. ``We continue in the struggle''; ``Seguimos en la lucha.''

Honoring Marcos Ceniceros

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Marcos Ceniceros for his unwavering commitment to labor rights, racial and economic justice, and workers' solidarity.

Born and raised in Chicago by immigrant parents from Mexico, Marcos witnessed firsthand the struggles and resilience of working-class families fighting for a better life. It was these early experiences that motivated his 15 years of organizing for social and economic justice.

As a campaign organizer of the Grassroots Collaborative and a community organizer with the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Marcos organized with young people and community members to defend their immigrant communities, expand access to education, deliver government budgets that center working people, and build community power.

Today, Marcos serves as the executive director of Warehouse Workers For Justice, where he organizes with warehouse workers across Illinois to win safer workplaces, fair wages, and dignity on the job. Marcos' leadership reminds us of the power of solidarity.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my privilege to commend Marcos Ceniceros for his dedication to building working people's power across our intersections. ``Long live the working families and our immigrant communities''; ``Que vivan los trabajadores siempre, que vivan los inmigrantes.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate Marcos.

Recognizing Sonia Cortez

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sonia Cortez, whose career and leadership have reshaped our school communities in Illinois' Third Logan Square community.

As a young girl in Puerto Rico, Sonia learned at an early age the transformational power of education. After moving to Logan Square, she saw firsthand how systemic and persistent inequities in schools left so many students without the resources and support that they need to be able to thrive.

Rather than accepting those circumstances, Sonia changed them. You see, for over 20 years, Sonia served as the parent mentor coordinator with Palenque LSNA, training parents to become partners in their schools, advocates in their communities, and leaders in education.

Today, more than 30 parent mentors have earned their teacher assistant licenses, with 20 currently serving at Avondale-Logandale School, supporting the growth and the development of our community students.

Last week, Sonia graduated her last class of parent mentors, marking a significant milestone in a long and impactful career that has changed lives, reshaped educational opportunities, and demonstrated the power of community in Logan Square and beyond.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to recognize the remarkable legacy of Sonia Cortez for decades of mentorship, leadership, and community building that have reshaped Logan Square and the city of Chicago.

``Thank you and congratulations''; ``gracias y felicitaciones,'' Sonia.

Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise to celebrate a longtime Chicago leader, an organizer for housing justice, my mentor, and a dear friend, John McDermott.

John's legacy fighting for affordable housing is written across our city. From his work as the executive director at the Lakeview Action Coalition to his tenure at the Palenque LSNA, and his work to protect and preserve affordable and public housing at Lathrop Homes, there are few people whose names are as synonymous with housing justice as John's McDermott's.

Because of his mentorship and organizing, the Preserve Lathrop Campaign secured the replacement, rather than the demolition, of 925 public housing units and the preservation of historic buildings.

But John's impact extends beyond any one single campaign. John's mentorship has built housing justice leaders, many of whom serve now as Chicago's public servants today. I count myself among them.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my sincere honor to commend John McDermott for his lifetime of contributions in the fight for housing justice and affordable housing for all.

I congratulate John.

Honoring Felicia Davis Blakley

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Felicia Davis Blakley for her service to community, her commitment to women and families, and her fierce leadership.

A self-described girl from the South Side, Felicia has worked at the intersection of public policy and community equity and inclusion for over three decades. Her notable and impactful career in nonprofit leadership and public service has blazed trails for women and girls across our entire city of Chicago.

Currently serving as the chief executive officer of Primo Center, Chicago's largest provider of services for families experiencing homelessness, Felicia's leadership is empowering families and creating equitable and sustainable communities across the city of Chicago.

As president and CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women, she completed a historic $45 million campaign, expanding critical resources for women and their families, and launching the SHEcovery initiative at a moment of profound need in response to COVID.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is truly my privilege to commend Felicia Davis Blakley for her radical authenticity, her unparalleled passion, and inspirational vision which she uses to shape initiatives that address the root causes of instability.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Felicia. Her name and the impact she has made throughout the city of Chicago and Illinois is now permanently entered in the Congressional Record.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 155.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Joy Aruguete, whose steadfast leadership has been a cornerstone of the nonprofit affordable housing and community development sectors in Chicago and, frankly, nationally.

Over her 30-year tenure as CEO of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Joy's organizing, coalition-building, and leadership have translated into the construction and management of stable, high-quality housing for countless families in Illinois' Third Congressional District.

Joy Aruguete herself could be described as a fixture or an icon in this work. Whether through her leadership on the Chicago Housing Trust, the Cook County Land Bank Authority, or the Chicago Rehab Network, she has advanced systems, resources, and partnerships necessary to ensure that affordable housing remains a priority in Chicago and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my distinct honor to recognize Joy Aruguete for her lifelong commitment to creating, preserving, and advocating for affordable housing in Chicago to realize housing as a human right. I thank and congratulate Joy Aruguete.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to share Steven's story. Who is Steven some may ask?

Steven is a constituent, and he is a 14-year-old boy, an eighth grader with autism, who spent 66 days incarcerated in Dilley Immigration Processing Center.

Steven and his dad are finally back home with their family and the community that loves them. However, this past Monday, I accompanied Steven and his father, Victor, to their check-in at ICE. I witnessed firsthand the pain and the trauma caused by the cruelty of separation and detention. Each day that Steven spent in inhumane and unsanitary conditions in Dilley took a toll on this little boy.

Steven didn't want to go to his check-in on Monday because the last time he showed up for the check-in with his father as he had been told, he was kidnapped for 66 days.

When he got there and he saw me, he was grateful, but I can see the great distress in the face of this little boy. I saw a child as we went in for his check-in cower in the corner of a chair in the fetal position with his ears covered because he was so afraid to hear the words that he and his father heard the last time he was there. He was so afraid of going back to detention.

Let me say it and let me say it loud and clear in the people's House. Shame on every person in this country who thinks it is acceptable to terrorize children. Shame on you who talk about being the party of children and family who is locking them up in cages, who is separating them from their loved ones, from their community, denying them from air, from Sun, from play, from laughter, from joy, and every single thing a baby, a child deserves.

President Mandela said: ``There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.''

Incarcerating children is an evil, morally bankrupt practice that calls into question any commitment our Nation has or claims to care about their preciousness.

We must unleash our collective outrage. Don't look away and don't normalize children in cages. We must demand that no other children experience what Steven has experienced or more than 3,800 children have experienced in ICE so far.

We will melt ICE, and I have a bill to do just that. We will dismantle the Department of Homeland Security because, frankly, at this juncture, nothing less is acceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a fierce advocate for justice and a tireless champion for gun violence prevention, Elizabeth Ramirez.

On a tragic night almost 15 years ago, Elizabeth's son, Harry Rodriguez, was fatally shot, giving his life to protect his family members when a masked assailant opened fire during his 23rd birthday celebration.

From the depths of unimaginable grief, Elizabeth transformed her pain into purpose. She cofounded Parents for Peace and Justice in Belmont Cragin, in Illinois-03, to not only advocate for stronger gun violence prevention measures but to provide essential support to families who have been impacted by gun violence.

Elizabeth provides courtroom support for families. She organizes peace walks and hosts vigils throughout communities to ensure that no family member has to navigate the profound pain of losing a loved one to violence alone.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I am proud to commend Elizabeth Ramirez for her relentless hope and for her essential work to help our communities recover from violence and loss.

I thank Elizabeth, and may her son rest in peace and power.

Recognizing Jessica Esquivel

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Dr. Jessica Esquivel.

Jessica is a queer, Afro-Latine, particle physicist, disruptor, author, and visionary who has made it her personal mission to ensure the success of underrepresented communities in the sciences.

As one of the few Afro-Latine, queer women in the world of STEAM, Jessica embraces all facets of her identity, unapologetically existing in spaces that have historically excluded people who look like her or identify as she does.

Through her work as an associate scientist at Fermilab, her leadership as cofounder of Oyanova Enterprises, and her creation of Twitter movement #blackinphysics, she has fostered opportunities for Black and Brown leaders to thrive through culturally relevant STEAM programming, mental

health advocacy, and countless other initiatives.

Jessica's work reveals the critical intersection of science, identity, and culture, demonstrating how diverse perspectives are essential to solving the challenges of our time.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Dr. Jessica Esquivel for blazing trails and reminding us that all is possible when we lift others as we climb.

I congratulate Dr. Esquivel on her success.

Recognizing Mary Santana

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mary Santana, a visionary whose leadership has built transformative, creative spaces that uplift our young people in Illinois-03 and beyond.

Mary is the founder and executive director at the Miracle Center, an organization that reflects her belief that community, creativity, and care have the power to change lives. The Miracle Center is a beacon for diverse youth and families, offering mentoring, coaching, training, and academic support, all grounded in the arts.

What started as a small day camp run out of her basement apartment has, over the last 30 years, grown to impact over 20,000 young people across Chicago. Mary has ensured that The Miracle Center nurtures diverse local artists, showcases BIPOC artistry, and uplifts unique perspectives. Under her leadership, The Miracle Center has grown, acquiring a dedicated building near my district office offering Latino artists a platform for performance.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I am proud to commend Mary Santana for bringing the power of art to our communities and establishing The Miracle Center in Illinois Three as a space where young people can explore their creative dreams and know that nothing is impossible when you dream and you have community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mary and congratulate and commend her on this House floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Ofelia Torres Hidalgo, a fighter, a leader, a devoted daughter, and an inspiration to Illinois' Third Congressional District.

At the tender age of 16 years old, on February 13, 2026, Ofelia's life was cut short by a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Yet, the cancer was not Ofelia's only battle.

Last October, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by DHS agents at a local Home Depot.

Immediately, Ofelia fought to bring her father home. In no small part because of Ofelia's viral social media call to action, Ruben was finally released. In her final days, from her hospital bed on Zoom, Ofelia fought one more battle: to have her father's order of deportation canceled, ensuring he would no longer live in fear. She passed 3 days later.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo for teaching us the meaning of love, hope, courage, and resolve. We will carry her light with us as we fight for all our loved ones who deserve to be home, who deserve dignity, and who deserve to live without fear. May her memory be a blessing, and may she rest in peace and power.

We will continue the fight for all people.

Thank you, Ofelia.

Honoring Reverend Ciera Bates-Chamberlain

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an unapologetic faith-rooted leader, Reverend Ciera Bates-Chamberlain.

Born and raised in Chicago's South Side, Reverend Bates-Chamberlain is the founder and executive director of Live Free, where she mobilizes Black churches to improve public safety and transform the justice system.

Since I first met Reverend Bates-Chamberlain through faith-based advocacy, I have seen her build coalitions and power to realize peace and justice in Chicago and beyond.

Madam Speaker, she helped found the Faith Over Fear Coalition, a multifaith, grassroots table of leaders and organizations across Chicago committed to spiritually rooted organizing that centers dignity, healing, and justice. Through her organizing, people are standing in solidarity, across faiths and communities, to resist the fear that divides us.

Madam Speaker, today, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I am proud to commend Reverend Ciera Bates-Chamberlain for her commitment to put her faith into action and to build the power of Black churches and multifaith coalitions to realize a more just and loving world. We thank Reverend Bates-Chamberlain and congratulate her.

Honoring Judge Chantelle Porter

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Judge Chantelle Porter, my constituent and a fighter for justice. Her career is a testament to her brilliance, her leadership, and her commitment to young people.

She has served as an assistant public defender in the juvenile division, as a Cook County assistant public guardian, and in private family law practice. At every step, she has pursued justice and centered the needs and dignity of children and families.

At 8 years old, she dreamed of becoming a historymaking jurist. In December 2022, she did it when she was appointed to the bench of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, becoming the first Black woman judge and the first Black circuit judge in DuPage County.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I am proud to commend Judge Chantelle Porter for blazing trails, fulfilling her purpose, and making a difference in the lives of children and families across Illinois' Third Congressional District. We thank Judge Porter and congratulate her. It is an honor to represent her.