Authorizing the Speaker to Appear As Amicus Curiae on Behalf of the House

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, even 100 years ago, if you asked somebody who was living in Asia or Latin America or Europe where on Earth they would want to go if they were going to leave their home country, the answer was very clearly the United States of America.

We proudly say, as Americans, that we are a Nation of immigrants, yet throughout the generations, immigrants from different corners of the world have encountered resentment and scapegoating here in our land.

Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day for the Irish. When the Irish came in the 1800s, they were greeted by signs that said ``No Irish need apply'' in cities like New York and Boston. The Chinese, for many decades, were excluded from admission into the United States. The Japanese and Germans were interned through World War II.

There was an operation called ``Operation Wetback'' in the Eisenhower administration that rounded up and deported thousands, if not over a million, Mexicans and Mexican Americans back to Mexico.

The latest iteration of those politics, the latest attempt to relive our worst mistakes started when a man--who may become President--called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers.

There are times in our Nation's history when our politics become a race to the bottom, and it takes people of good faith, of different political stripes and beliefs, to stand up and put the brakes on it. Sometimes we have, and sometimes we have fail to do that. But make no mistake that we are in one of those eras now, and this resolution represents just the beginning.

My colleague from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), about 45 minutes ago referenced talk of mass deportations. That is not just talk. That is coming from the leading Republican frontrunners for President.

Do you know what that means? That means that you are going to go pull 2- and 3- and 4-year-old kids out of homes, from their parents forcibly, and send them out of here. It means that you are going to take parents and drag them away from their kids, leaving them alone.

I know that there are people of very good faith who disagree with Democrats on this issue. In fact, many have spoken today, and I respect their opinions. But I would ask all of us, as Americans, to ask ourselves whether this represents the very best of our Nation.

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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. The fact is we are a Nation of immigrants, we have always been a Nation of immigrants, and we will always be a Nation of immigrants. It is what has made us strong, it is what has made us powerful around the world, it is what has earned us friends, and it is what has made us the envy of the world.

All of us have to make sure, in governing, that 50 years from now, when somebody in Europe or Latin America or Asia is asked where on Earth they would want to move, if they were going to leaving their home country, that the answer is still the United States of America.

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