Condemning the Use of Elementary and Secondary School Facilities to Provide Shelter for Aliens Who Are Not Admitted to the United States

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. RAMIREZ. Madam Speaker, today I stand here opposing the GOP's hateful resolution to condemn the use of schools as shelter for immigrants. For years, schools have sheltered people during emergencies, and we know people in our own districts who have had to go into these places because of climate crisis, hurricanes, tornadoes, and the list goes on.

Well, sanctuary cities like Chicago and New York are in emergencies created by Republican Governors who continue to dehumanize asylum seekers and cruelly bus them to sanctuary cities like Chicago.

This resolution does nothing to solve the crisis, and it certainly isn't protecting our children's education. It is just another way to criminalize asylum seekers.

Now, I believe to my core that seeking asylum is not a crime. In fact, welcoming them into our arms, regardless of their origin or their status, is a biblical teaching, a humane act, and it is part of our Nation's fabric and our Nation's values.

How can we say we care about families or that you are the party of families and values? How can you say you care about children and then threaten to cut funding for their schools if they dare to shelter children who are seeking asylum?

That is hypocritical. There is dissidence there, and we should look up that description in the dictionary. It is time we end this senseless war against immigrants and stand up for what is right and for what is just.

Madam Speaker, I will absolutely be voting ``no'' on this resolution, and I urge all my colleagues to do the same.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source