Recognizing Jessica Suarez Nieto During Teacher Appreciation Week

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Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, during Teacher Appreciation Week, I rise to honor Jessica Suarez Nieto, a middle school teacher at Telpochcalli School, a dual language school, recently named Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.

As a young immigrant child who didn't speak English when I arrived in the U.S., I knew firsthand the impact that teachers like Ms. Suarez can have on their students.

Ms. Suarez is a champion of dual language education. She uses language as a bridge to connect with families, affirm cultural identities, and empower students. She helps them feel seen, heard, and confident in classrooms where they are often told to shrink or stay silent. She teaches her students more than just math. She teaches them that they matter. She gives them a voice.

I thank Ms. Suarez for being an incredible teacher and for her work and deep commitment to her students. Celebrating Centennial Anniversary of Leyden High School

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Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a century of excellence in public education, the 100-year anniversary of Leyden High School District No. 212, proudly serving the western suburbs of Chicago.

What began as a 2-year school in a portable building has grown into a thriving, two-campus district, East Leyden and West Leyden, now serving more than 3,300 students with over 200 dedicated teachers.

Rooted in blue and gold and soaring under the banner of the eagle, Leyden's commitment to academic and artistic excellence has inspired pride, unity, and spirit across the district's communities.

True to its mission to educate, enrich, and empower, Leyden does more than reach; it uplifts. It lives by one simple, powerful motto: Do What's Best for the Kids.

I congratulate the students, teachers, alumni, and school leaders of this century of service. Here is to the next 100. Migrant Abduction

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Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm on a crisis threatening our democracy.

President Trump has defied a unanimous Supreme Court order blocking the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and, instead, vanishing him to a prison in El Salvador without a trial, without a hearing, and without a shred of justice.

This isn't just cruelty, but it is lawlessness. It is a direct assault on our values and the rule of law. He was abducted from his home and sent to a foreign prison infamously known for human rights violations. When the President defies the courts, he crosses the line into tyranny. He is even arresting judges whom he sees as standing in his way.

When tyranny takes root, no one is safe. Today, it is immigrants with tattoos, 2-year-olds, and even children with cancer. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who falls out of favor, even Republicans who don't clap long enough or make the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring.

We have to stand up for our rights and for the rule of law not just for Kilmar but for the future of our Republic.

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