Immigrant Heritage Month

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Trump administration's shameful new policy separating parents and children at our southern border. This policy is even being applied to those legally seeking asylum here while fleeing violence in their home countries.

The current system of prioritizing criminal prosecution of those seeking protection rather than assessing legitimate asylum claims has to stop.

These are not our Nation's values. Our country is better than this, our people are better than this.

But we have a chance to get something right. We are currently within just a handful of signatures of forcing a vote on a series of immigration proposals, including the bipartisan USA Act, which pairs a resolution for our Dreamers with smart investments in our border security.

June, this month, is Immigrant Heritage Month, a time to reflect on the history of immigration that so many Americans share. We must live up to our heritage by ending this cruel policy of family separation, securing Dreamers a permanent future here in the United States, and finally formally reforming our broken immigration system.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source