Congressional Record, Volume 159 Issue 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)

[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H333-H339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

CBC HOUR: IMMIGRATION REFORM

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Daines). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 3, 2013, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries)
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.

General Leave

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
be given 5 days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my
Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Today we are here as members of the Congressional Black
Caucus to weigh in on the important issue that confronts this Nation as
it relates to the need for comprehensive immigration reform. It's my
honor and my privilege to represent the Eighth Congressional District
anchored in Brooklyn and parts of southwest Queens, one of the most
diverse districts in the country; a district that has blacks and
whites, Asians, Latinos, and immigrants from every corner of the world.
I recognize in the capacity of my representation in that district the
significance that immigrants have given both to the communities that I
represent as well as to the city of New York, the State, and the
Nation.
I'm proud that we've been joined by several distinguished members of
the Congressional Black Caucus which, for more than four decades, has
been known as the conscience of the Congress. And in that capacity, the
Congressional Black Caucus has, year after year, spent time trying to
perfect our democracy and create a more perfect Union. We confront that
moment right now, here, in this great country of ours as we try and
figure out how we deal with creating a pathway towards citizenship for
the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants who are forced to toil
in the shadows.
We've been joined today by a co-anchor for this next hour, a
distinguished classmate of mine from the great State of Nevada, the
gentleman Steven Horsford, who had the opportunity, I believe, last
week to be present while President Barack Obama delivered his remarks
as they relate to immigration reform. And so I'd like to ask Mr.
Horsford if he might comment on the President's remarks and weigh in on
the immigration debate from his perspective as a representative from
the important State of Nevada.
Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, first I'd like to thank my classmate and
colleague and say I look forward to serving with him in this historic
113th Congress as we work together to make this a more perfect Union.
I also represent one of the more diverse districts in the United
States Congress. My district is 25 percent Latino, 16 percent African
American, 7 percent Asian American, 2 percent Native American. It is a
district that reflects both the urban as well as the rural components
and communities of our great State of Nevada.

{time} 2010

In fact, Congressional District 4 reflects the State of Nevada, and
Nevada increasingly reflects all of America. And so I believe that is
why President Obama decided, of all places that he could visit, he
visited Nevada last week to discuss the fierce urgency of now in
adopting a comprehensive immigration reform by this Congress; the fact
that Nevada reflects the changing demographics of our country, but it
also reflects the broken system which is our immigration system.
And so, as I listened to the President, and as we honor today the
100th birthday of Rosa Parks, I reflect on these issues as a basic
fundamental civil right, a human right that is guaranteed to us. So
today does mark the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks, an icon in the
struggle for justice, a woman who was known as the mother of the civil
rights movement.
As an African American woman confronting prejudice and unequal
treatment under the law, Mrs. Parks remarked that what pushed her to
say ``no'' on that fateful day in Montgomery was the simple fact that
her ``mistreatment was just not right,'' and she was ``tired of it.''
She said, and I quote:

I did not want to be mistreated; I did not want to be
deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time . .
. There was opportunity for me to take a stand to express the
way that I felt about being treated in that manner. I had not
planned to get arrested. I had plenty to do without having to
end up in jail. But when I had to face that decision, I
didn't hesitate to do so because I felt that we had endured
that too long. The more we gave

[[Page H334]]

in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the
more oppressive it became.

It was not complicated. It was prejudice. It was unfair, and she was
sick of it. She was tired of the constant drumbeat of injustice
directing every minute of her day. She was tired of facing inequality
in a country founded on principles of liberty and justice for all. Her
act of civil disobedience sparked a social movement that changed our
country forever, and she did it because ``it was just time.''
So today, we honor her courage and her bravery. We remember her
legacy and draw lessons from her actions. We take up the cause of
promoting more just, fair and humane policy for all, because that's
what we owe Mrs. Parks and all our civil rights leaders.
It is our tribute to those larger-than-life pioneers. As Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere.'' It is that creed of the civil rights movement that still
motivates us today.
So today we take up the cause of joining arms with our immigrant
brothers and sisters in that spirit. The time is now to lend a hand to
those who confront injustice as a result of a broken immigration
system. It is just time.
For many undocumented immigrants in our country, they are waiting to
start their lives. They are waiting to start a business. They are
waiting to reunite with their families, often for years on end.
And while they wait, children see their parents deported. Students
get stuck in an educational purgatory and can't attend college and
better their lives or get a job in the country that trained them. And
mothers and fathers can't provide for their family or care for their
loved ones without keeping them in the shadows.
So they can't wait any longer. We can't wait any longer. And as Rosa
Parks said, It is just time.
From Africa to Europe to Asia, our dysfunctional immigration system
is a disincentive to the best and the brightest worldwide from coming
to our great country. We throw talent away. We tear families apart. We
show disregard for those trying to live the American Dream.
For far too long, we have put off comprehensive immigration reform,
but now we are taking up the opportunity to do something about it. And
we cannot let this moment pass. It is in that spirit that we hold
today's discussion.
We will not wait any longer. We have to continue strengthening our
border, but we will act on comprehensive immigration reform without
delay. We will crack down on employers, but we will make sure that
there is a pathway to citizenship for those who are here at no fault of
their own. And we will fulfill our heritage as a Nation of immigrants
and a Nation of laws.
Justice, compassion, and equal protection are our common cause. We
have an opportunity to embrace dynamism that immigrants bring to our
country, and now is the time to do it.
As I said, this is a civil rights issue. In fact, it is the civil
rights and human rights issue of our generation. Just like the civil
rights issues of the sixties that were fought by African Americans, and
the women's rights issues before that, this is a civil rights issue
that must be advocated by all who believe in a sense of justice,
opportunity and equality for every person.
And as we work together, we can move forward on immigration reform
for the good of our country and for the good of all of us as human
beings.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the gentleman from Nevada.
We've been joined by the distinguished chair of the Congressional
Black Caucus, the gentlelady from Cleveland, Ohio, Representative
Marcia Fudge. I yield her such time as she may consume.
Ms. FUDGE. I thank you so very much. It is indeed a pleasure for me
to be with these young gentlemen here today. I want to thank the
gentleman from New York, and I look forward to his leadership as he
anchors this hour for the 113th Congress, and I'm certain that other
members of his class will be joining him on a regular basis.
Mr. Speaker, with that I thank him again. This is a lot of work,
which you know, to come down to this floor every week and talk about
issues of importance to our Nation. So I thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my voice to those of my colleagues
on the importance of comprehensive immigration reform.
The United States is a Nation of immigrants. Most Americans trace
their lineage beyond our borders. The promise of the American Dream is
what brings people from all corners of the world to this Nation. This
country was founded on the principle that here lies the land of
opportunity, and that anyone can achieve success through hard work.
But for the millions of undocumented immigrants of Hispanic, Asian,
and African descent living in America today, the American Dream is just
a promise, a promise they hope their children may one day realize.
Many immigrants are confronted with the same harsh realities that
plague communities of color every day, namely, racial profiling based
on unreasonable suspicion, systematic criminalization in order to fill
private prisons, economic injustice that holds many in the bondage of
poverty--all examples of pitfalls that unfairly, yet intentionally,
trap, uproot and destroy far too many individuals and families.
Children in immigrant families also continue to struggle. According
to the Pew Research Center, there are an estimated 1 million
unauthorized immigrants under the age of 18 in the United States, and
as many as 4.5 million U.S.-born children whose parents are
unauthorized. These children live in fear.
Every year, nearly 200,000 non-citizens, many with children who are
U.S. citizens, are deported and torn away from their families.

{time} 2020

As families are torn apart, children are forced to choose between
separation from their parent or leaving the only place they've ever
called home.
How does America end the culture of fear among immigrant communities
and help preserve families? First, we must create a pathway to
citizenship that encourages, not discourages, legalization. Second, we
must address the issues of mass detention and unjust criminality of
immigrant populations. Third, our laws and justice system must place a
premium on keeping families together. By creating flexible and
equitable immigration policies that prioritize the unification and
stability of immigrant families, we strengthen the fabric that holds
our communities together.
Lastly, as a former mayor, I would be remiss if I did not mention the
important role our States and local governments will play in
immigration reform. As undocumented immigrants come out of the shadows
of society, our State and our local governments will need our support
more than ever. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said:

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of
this period of social transition was not the strident clamor
of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good
people.

Today, we are in a period of social transition. As the ``conscience
of the United States Congress,'' the CBC cannot and will not stand by
in silence. When history is recounted, the record will reflect the
stance that the CBC took in supporting comprehensive immigration
reform--reform that not only includes individuals of Hispanic and Asian
descent, but also thousands of immigrants from within the African
diaspora, and reform that dignifies the struggles of the undocumented
and reconnects broken family bonds.
I urge my colleagues to unite behind comprehensive immigration
reform.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the gentlelady from Ohio, the distinguished CBC
chair, for her remarks and her observations.
I think there were several important points that were raised by our
chair, Congresswoman Fudge. First, sometimes the immigration reform
debate has been characterized as perhaps just a Latino issue. At other
times it's been characterized as perhaps an Asian issue. There are
times that the immigration reform debate is characterized as an Eastern
European issue. But really, immigration reform is an American issue. It
cuts to the heart of who we are and what we will become. It affects
every community. And as Congresswoman Fudge indicated, there are black
immigrants in the United States to whom the issue of creating a pathway
towards citizenship is extremely important.

[[Page H335]]

It's estimated that there are 3 million black immigrants in this
country. Approximately 400,000 are undocumented. Who are these
immigrants of African descent? Some are from the Caribbean, two-thirds
of which are from nation states such as Jamaica, Trinidad, and Haiti.
Others are from the continent of Africa. They are from countries like
Nigeria and Ghana, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
I'm pleased that we've been joined by the distinguished gentlelady
from the Ninth Congressional District in New York, who represents one
of the largest immigrant populations for a congressional district not
just in the city of New York, but anywhere in this Nation. She's been a
dynamic leader on this issue.
Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the CBC and
amplify the message of support for true and real comprehensive
immigration reform. First, I would like to thank our newly elected
colleagues, the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York, Congressman Hakeem
Jeffries, and the gentleman from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Steven
Horsford, for hosting this evening's CBC hour.
Mr. Speaker, I commend President Obama for his commitment to
comprehensive immigration reform, and I reaffirm my commitment to
working with his administration and our colleagues to make true reform
a reality. Having said that, I want to challenge the President and all
of our colleagues to expand upon the face and the voice of immigration,
adding new dimensions to the unfolding debate.
When two major immigration speeches such as those that President
Obama made in El Paso, Texas, in 2011, and last week in Las Vegas,
Nevada, in Mr. Horsford's part of the country, omit the contributions
of immigrants from the continent of Africa, it paints an incomplete
picture of the idealized gorgeous mosaic or melting pot, if you will,
that the United States of America represents. We must embrace the
diversity of those who are impacted by reform and understand that this
debate cannot solely rest on the shoulders of our Latino sisters and
brothers.
The stigmatization of the Latino population as the target immigrant
population has resulted in a skewed depiction of the true diversity of
the immigrant population resident in our country. We have immigrants
represented from almost every Nation around the world, and we must
recognize all of those who are building communities and strengthening
our Nation.
Since 2009, I've been working with my colleagues to diversify the
voice and the face of the immigration debate. The burden of a broken
system does not encumber one group of immigrants alone. There are
approximately 3 million immigrants from the African diaspora in the
United States, the vast majority of whom entered the country with legal
documentation. The impact of immigrants of the African diaspora from
the continent of Africa, the Caribbean region, and South and Central
America has been massive in scale. As the representative of the Ninth
Congressional District of New York, I am proud to serve a very
significant Caribbean, South and Central American, and continental
African immigrant community whose immigration experience is as diverse
as the countries from which they've come. In fact, I represent one of
the most diverse, immigrant-rich districts in the Nation, with people
who have come from the Middle East, South Asia, Asia, Russia, the
Eastern European nations. It's a virtual United Nations.
Many entered our shores with student visas, like my parents did, to
pursue careers in medicine, science, education, and other professions.
Many are proud business owners of law firms, restaurants, grocery
stores, shipping companies, and hair braiding venues. There are those
who come as asylum seekers, fleeing the tumult of war, famine, and
genocide. No matter their reason for immigrating, they've come to the
U.S. to be productive, taxpaying members of our civil society and to
attain the American Dream.
Unfortunately, immigrants of the African diaspora, like so many other
groups from around the world, are dealing with backlogged immigration
processing; families being ripped apart; falling ``out of status''
because they have aged out of the legal immigration process; racial and
status discrimination; unfair criminal aggravated felony laws that
prohibit judicial review; deportation processes that violate civil and
human rights; an insecure and prohibitive student visa program; limited
access to work permits; and much, much more.
You see, many immigrants arrive on our shores during a time in their
lives when they are the most productive. Any delay in processing these
individuals, in bringing them to the fore, denies us the opportunity to
access their talents, their skills, and their ability in the prime of
their lives.

{time} 2030

Additionally, African Americans, those descendants of the slave
trade--whom I fondly call long-time stakeholders of this Nation--have
been affected by the broken system as well. Working-class Americans of
all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities are adversely affected with a
broken immigration system. They are facing depressed wages due to
unscrupulous and illegal corporate hiring practices. Urban communities
aren't being adequately counted by the Census and other surveys,
resulting in the reduction of adequate government services and Federal
resources to meet the needs of the actual population in the communities
and increasing the strain on current public services.
Urban communities are exposed to more crime, as the undocumented are
more reluctant to report crimes; and African Americans are dealing with
increased racial and status discrimination, as many are subjected to
interrogations based on citizenship.
This is why, as a child of the Caribbean--second-generation
American--and a sister of the African diaspora, I believe that it is my
duty and that of the Congressional Black Caucus to ensure that the
voices of immigrants of the African diaspora will be at the forefront,
shoulder to shoulder with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the
Caucus of the Asian and Pacific Islanders; that the voices of the
immigrants of the African diaspora will be heard. We will make sure
that this debate is as diverse as the population it encompasses.
The effectiveness of the immigration reform debate will rely heavily
on the diversity of its support. That is why I call upon my sisters and
brothers within the African diaspora to join with the members of the
CBC, myself and our colleagues, in making sure that our voices are
heard and our needs are adequately addressed.
Mr. Speaker, the time is now to pass a comprehensive bill that
includes streamlining the immigration process, humane enforcement
strategies that address the needs of children and other vulnerable
people, use alternatives to detention, create enforceable detention
standards, safeguard our investments in our DREAM Act kids, and outline
essential due process reforms.
Our national security is at stake. Our moral standing in the world
depends upon it. And the American people--many of whom are first- and
second-generation immigrants--have demanded it. If we turn our backs on
those law-abiding contributors to our civil society that come to our
shores only to embrace the American Dream, to labor in rebuilding our
great Nation, to strengthen our economy, to serve honorably in our
military, we turn our back on ourselves and our future. You don't have
to believe me. Just ask the people of Japan, where population growth
has been stagnant as a result of a prohibitive immigration policy.
It is time for people of good will to stand for those who fear or are
unable to stand for themselves. Let us stand together for comprehensive
immigration reform.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Thank you, Congresswoman Clarke, for those very
eloquent and thoughtful remarks.
The Congressional Black Caucus consists of 42 members representing a
variety of communities all across this great Nation. We've been joined
today by two Representatives from the Lone Star State, one of whom,
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, has distinguished herself in many
different areas, but has been a thought leader in the area of
comprehensive immigration reform.
She is currently the ranking member on the House Committee on
Homeland Security Subcommittee on the Border

[[Page H336]]

and Maritime Security, and also is a senior member of the House
Committee on the Judiciary and the important Subcommittee on
Immigration and Border Security. We're thankful that she's been a long-
time champion of a fair and humane immigration system, and I yield the
floor to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I'd like to thank the distinguished gentleman from
New York and the distinguished gentleman from Nevada. I particularly
want to thank them for hosting this vital discussion, this Special
Order, and pay tribute to them for doing a service to the Nation.
When we speak on the floor of the House and we come from disparate
States, from New York, Nevada, Texas, and Ohio--in fact, I think we
have just about covered America--it has an amazing impact on our
colleagues, and certainly constituents. So I owe and we all owe you a
debt of gratitude for the forward thinking, and particularly since
today has a double meaning. This is the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks.
She is often called the Mother of Civil Rights. And then our President,
over the last couple of weeks, and as the gentleman from Nevada knows,
spent time with him, to speak eloquently about the need for this
pathway of access to legalization going forward.
So I am grateful again for your willingness to host this and to begin
to surge forward, collaborate with members of the Congressional Black
Caucus, and giving them information in their respective districts, and
collaborating with the Asian Pacific Caucus, the Caribbean Caucus, and
as well the Hispanic Caucus. I think there are three of us, but we now
have a new Caribbean, on which a number of us serve, and as well the
African diaspora, which includes our brothers and sisters that have
been mentioned already on the floor. We can go vastly beyond them. It's
my effort today, and I thank both the gentlemen from New York and from
Nevada for some potent posters that I hope that I will share with all
of you.
Let me share both words from President Obama and some abbreviated
words from Dr. Martin Luther King. But the words from President Obama
stated, as it relates to the question of immigration reform, that our
journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the
striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as the land of
opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in
our workforce rather than expelled from our country.
I think the important part of this discussion tonight is to make sure
that the landscape of immigration reform is a landscape of many faces,
many heritages, many backgrounds, many regions in the United States,
many continents, and that it is important for all of us to have a
commitment to better opportunity for all. But as we do that, I think
education is crucial. For as this discussion goes forward, I want my
friends to know that there will be moments of great contention, there
will be moments of disagreement, and there will be moments of
misrepresentation.
It is important for the broad diaspora to understand that we are in
this leaking boat together, and that when we utilize the term of
``civil rights'' or we use Rosa Parks or we speak to the words that Dr.
King said on April 3, 1968, that said that he could see a Promised Land
and that he might not get there with us, but he knew that we as a
people would get there some day, I cannot imagine in the 50th year of
his ``I Have a Dream'' speech that he could not foresee that America's
diversity would be its strength, and that African Americans who came
first to this country as slaves could then join with others who came in
fishing boats, in airplanes, that walked across the border for greater
opportunity and make America the dream, the great Nation, the Promised
Land of which he predicted.
That is what immigration reform is. It is not to take from someone
else and to give to someone else. It is not to diminish the civil
rights struggle of the African American population. It is not to ignore
the history of others, but it is to say that we have a common ground.
That is the way that we're going to pass immigration reform.

{time} 2040

If you are a Southerner and a Republican from the South, you have as
much invested in an America that gives opportunity to all as you may be
from the wonderful districts that are represented on this floor. And
until we understand that in the House, and until the Speaker
understands and accepts it, that this is not taking away, this is not
undermining anyone's view of America, it is to say that the view of
America is a promised land that so many come for. It is a recognition
that Americans have come through the 1800s when the Irish came because
of the famine, the Italians came in the early 1900s. Other groups have
come since then, large numbers of Hispanics, Asian Americans, South
Asian Americans, those who have come from the Asian Pacific area, those
who have come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, those who have come
from the Caribbean, those who come from Africa. They have all come, and
we have to recognize that.
One of the issues that seems to be coming up over and over again as
we look at this issue, and I will speak specifically to the Senate's
proposal, the general path to citizenship, it talks about the 11
million undocumented individuals, that the path of citizenship will
only take place if the border is secured and visa overstays are
effectively combated.
Let me be clear that great progress has been made over the Clinton
administration, moving into the Bush administration, George Bush, and
then on to the Obama administration, particularly in the Obama
administration because you can begin to see any suggestion that we have
not worked to secure the border is based upon lack of information and
lack of facts. So I want to thank my colleague for a poster that, in
fact, says that the number of Border Patrol agents has more than
doubled in the past 10 years.
When I first began writing legislation in 2004, 2003, 2005, we were
shortchanged on border security agents. Working with the Senate and
working with Presidents, we funded the increase of border security or
Border Patrol agents, and we can see now that the majority of agents
are assigned to the U.S.-Mexican border, more than 16,000, and more--
and it's growing--that are basically at the border now. I think we can
do more, if you will, for the northern border; and I look forward to
working with my chairperson of the subcommittee on that issue.
But we cannot let the discussion get bogged down in talking about we
can't provide some access to citizenship. In my legislation, I called
it ``earned access to citizenship,'' which means there were fines to be
paid, charitable issues to be paid, you must be vetted; but here on the
Senate proposal, it talks about securing the border.
I want to be able to be responsive to their concerns, but they should
also look at the facts, and they can see that between ICE and CBP, ICE
is the internal enforcement, CBP, you can see the increase in the
amounts of money that have gone up in the billions of dollars, now
close to $18 billion between ICE and CBP, CBP being a little bit under
$12 billion, that we have truly under the Obama administration been
serious about border security. In fact, there is a poster board here
that suggests that the deportations have gone up. That's not the right
way to proceed.
So my point today is that there must be common ground. In the Senate,
they talk about young, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the
U.S. when they were children will have a more direct path to
citizenship. That must be clear because those are the DREAM Act kids.
And, in fact, those individuals are the talent that we are throwing
away, young people who are in college who are contributing to society
who can help bring their families, reunite their families, have been
forced to deportation.
I want to congratulate the President for his executive order that
provided a deferred adjudication for DREAM Act youngsters as a basis of
saying that the ICE should enforce deportation on those who are a
threat to our community and prioritize those distinctive from those who
are here who are not doing us any harm who are being educated. So the
Senate proposal talks about young people. It talks about the backlogs
of legal immigration and family reunification and the employment visa
process.
It also allows more immigrants performing lower-skilled occupations
to

[[Page H337]]

enter the country when we were created. I want to change that word. I
don't like the idea of lower skilled. People come to work, if they are
skilled, they have something to contribute, that is the basis upon
which we should look at it. But I think for the Congressional Black
Caucus it is always important to say because our communities suffer
unemployment in many parts of the country more so than others, that it
is important in any immigration reform that we ensure that the employer
has looked very hard for a person who is eligible for that job here in
the United States.
That's how we educate our population. That's how we bring together
the right kind of collaboration. High-skilled immigrants should be all
of us. High-skilled individuals should be those in historically black
colleges, Hispanic-serving colleges. We should encourage them to be
part of science, technology, engineering and math. However, when there
is an immigrant that is graduating from our top universities, or any of
our universities, we should not ask them to leave. It is very important
to do. And we should ensure that they have opportunities.
The President's general path to citizenship provides a pathway to
citizenship. These immigrants can register for provisional legal
status. And his point is, which I believe we should join in, that we
should not let border security get in the way of making sure that we
move forward on a legal status process. Young people who, again, were
brought here as children should have an expedited path to citizenship
by attending college or by serving 2 years in the military. Slight
differences that we can find a common ground, legal immigrants, he
speaks to the plan would increase the percentage of family-sponsored
immigrants coming into the country over every 7 years, from 7 to 15
percent.
This goes to a complaint that you will hear from those in Nevada,
those in New York, those in your very diverse districts, they complain
about--not complain--let me say it differently. They want to be
reunited with their family members. And one of the starkest things that
happens to any of us who visit with immigrants in our congressional
office, what about the immigrant who wants to go home for a dying
relative, or the relative wants to come because there is a dying
relative here in the United States.

I had that happen in my district. I had a South Korean student who
was shot on the streets of Houston, and tragically he became paralyzed.
When his father came here to be able to comfort him, his father had
been here, he went back out, he was held and detained. We finally got
that resolved. But we must find a way to have this punishment, this
pain, that so many of our immigrants are experiencing, we must find a
way to be able to work on this in a productive and smart manner. This
speaks to the fact that we have not been slouches, we have not been
slouches as it relates to border security.
I want to speak to the issue of the diversity visa program, which was
a target of our friends who maybe did not understand what that means.
But the diversity visa program was to allow people who did not get in
the normal visa system. It has proven to be a way of helping those who
come from the continent of Africa, those who come from a number of
other areas where it is very difficult to get a visa. Nearly 15 million
people representing about 20 million with family members included were
registered late last year for the 2012 diversity visa program under
which only 15,000 visa winners were to be selected.
That shows the intensity of the diversity visa. And some want to get
rid of it. It's a lot of African immigrants; it's a lot of people
trying to come to be with their families. Diversity visa immigrants
succeed and contribute to the U.S. economy. According to the
Congressional Research Service, in FY 2009, diversity visa immigrants
were 2.5 times more likely to report managerial and professional
occupations.
The founder of it, Representative Bruce Morrison, said that the heart
of the definition of America is what this program is about. All
nationalities are welcome. Ambassador Johnny Young said the program
engenders hope abroad for those who are too often without it, hope for
a better life. And so I hope as we look at immigration reform we will
not attempt to eliminate opportunities to bring families together.
Finally, with respect to security issues, there's no significant
evidence of a security risk with the diversity visa. The GAO found in
2007 no documented evidence.
These points about the issue of where we can come together and where
there are distinctions is to raise the specter of how serious and
difficult this process may be. The Congressional Black Caucus will be
pivotal in its role, one, because it is the conscience of this
Congress; two, because we have the uncanny ability of seeing from a
broader perspective what we have gone through in our lifetime, what our
communities go through. We've seen discrimination, and we are
sympathetic and sensitive to how we can help others.
So I think the challenge is as we proceed on this process that all of
us be included in this discussion, that the working group includes
members of the Congressional Black Caucus and that as we encourage
legislation to come to the Judiciary Committee, which is the committee
that I sit on, the Immigration Subcommittee that Zoe Lofgren chairs and
which I'm second on that committee, and as it goes through Homeland
Security where the ranking member, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. McCaul share
the leadership, in Judiciary Mr. Conyers and Mr. Goodlatte, where I am
the ranking member on the Border Security Subcommittee, that we,
through the Congressional Black Caucus, find a way to uphold the values
of our ancestors, uphold the values of the pioneers and leaders who
have traveled through the journey of civil rights that we can see the
plight and the pain of those who come now.

{time} 2050

I want to say in closing that as a Member of the Congress having the
privilege of serving the 18th Congressional District, even in a city
like Houston, it is enormously diverse, having a large number of
counselor offices, and people who have come from all walks of life, who
have come through outdoors in the 18th Congressional District begging
for help, pleading for their children not being deported, and I would
say to my colleagues you can not, and those of you who come from this
diverse background, fully understand what it's like to hear a mother's
shrill scream in your office when you said to them that we are going to
stop the deportation of your child. We've all understood that pain if
we've encountered immigrants who do nothing more and want nothing more
than to live the American Dream, who are paying taxes, building houses,
and working for the betterment of us all, serving in the military and
shedding blood.
For this reason I think it is crucial that we try to overcome the
hurdles, the differences of opinion, the tension that will rise, and
have a common place to start from and a common ending. And that is the
betterment of all people who contribute and make America great.
Comprehensive immigration reform will not hurt those of us who stand
on this floor, and we will not allow it to hurt those who we represent.
It will be a focus roadmap for all of us to work for a great and
wonderful promised land that Martin King dreamed about and spoke about
a few years ago.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the gentlelady from Texas for her very pointed
observations on a variety of different issues concerning the
comprehensive immigration reform issue.
I would just like to amplify for a moment one point that was made as
it relates to the significance of the diversity visa lottery program.
It's a program that in its conception is designed to make sure that
immigrants from underrepresented parts of the world have an opportunity
to come to America and participate in the American Dream. And in the
context of this diversity visa lottery program, approximately 20
percent of the African immigrants who are here in this country are here
as a result of participating in that program.
It has been an instrumental vehicle for ensuring diversity as it
relates to the presence of immigrants from the African continent, who
by the way, statistics have shown, tend to be more educated in their
attainment of college degrees than any other immigrant

[[Page H338]]

group. As a result, they are very much contributing to moving the
society forward. And for that reason I believe it will be important for
the CBC to continue to stand up for this program as we move forward
with comprehensive immigration reform, and so I thank the gentlelady
for those observations.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Will the gentleman yield for just one quick moment.
I want to applaud him for that and just add two groups that we did not
mention yet that will really be impacted by comprehensive immigration
reform: Liberians who came here on deferred enforcement, who are now
still in limbo and worked with us over the years. We've been, if you
would say, advocates for them. And Haitians, who have a distinctive
pathway into citizenship, who have certainly been contributing, fought
with us in the Revolutionary War.
And you are absolutely right, the diversity visa has been a lifeline,
not for terrorists, but a lifeline for hardworking immigrants. And I
hope that when we debate this, as I said, mountains of tension or
disagreement, that we can find common ground to include all these
groups that will help better America and grow America strong.
Mr. JEFFRIES. One of the things that we hope to accomplish today as
we move forward in the context of advancing this immigration reform
debate is making sure that the facts surrounding the issue of
immigration are well known. This is a Nation of immigrants, and it's a
Nation of laws. And some have articulated the concern that we must
secure the border before we can move forward and create a pathway
toward citizenship for those who are in the country and undocumented.
Much has been made about the southwestern border in particular. And
the gentleman from Nevada, I believe, has some statistics that he can
speak to as to the progress that has been made in securing the border,
points that were also made by the gentlelady from Texas.
Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank the gentleman
from New York for yielding and to expound on some of the points that
the gentlelady from Texas made in regards to the tremendous progress
that has been made on strengthening the border.
She touched on the doubling of the number of Border Patrol agents
from 10,000 to 21,000 agents in just the past year. That's a doubling
since 2004 of resources. And this is tremendous in that it actually is
the largest per year enforcement of any other federal law enforcement
combined. It's $17.6 billion worth of enforcement on our border. And so
progress has been made. And the deportations signify that. Half of
these deportations have been to individuals who committed crimes,
illegal crimes, and were deported for that reason.
But let me also touch on another element, which the gentlelady also
discussed. And that is immigration, and the history of immigration
policy in our country has always focused on the family and keeping the
family together and reuniting family members. And so we have to be
careful when we talk about deportation, what that means for
individuals, because this is a human rights issue.
In my district, in Congressional District 4, I met with a group of
citizens on Sunday before the President came, and there was one family
there who explained to me a situation where the mother had been
deported and the children now are in foster care. They cannot be
reunited with their family because of the status issues. And that is
something that is having a human toll because we have a broken
immigration system that must be fixed. That has always been a
cornerstone of our immigration policy in this country, the focus on
keeping our families together, not just on labor or economic issues,
which should be at the forefront as well.
And so enforcement has been a big cornerstone, and should be a major
cornerstone, of the policy going forward. But the pathway to
citizenship is the cornerstone. And I believe the Congressional Black
Caucus as a stakeholder in this discussion, working with our colleagues
on the other side and in the other Chamber, must articulate why there
cannot be a precondition, a litmus test on border security, in order to
provide for a pathway to citizenship that so many individuals depend
on.
Let me also discuss one other element of a comprehensive immigration
reform that is necessary, and it's important to my district, in
Congressional District 4, and that's the focus on enhancing travel and
tourism.
The administration under President Obama is committed to increasing
U.S. travel and tourism by facilitating legitimate travel while
maintaining our Nation's security. Consistent with the President's
executive order on travel and tourism, the President's proposal
securely streamlines visa and foreign visitor processing. It also
strengthens law enforcement cooperation while maintaining the program's
robust counterterrorism and criminal information-sharing initiatives.
It facilitates more efficient travel by allowing greater flexibility to
designate countries for participation in the visa waiver program, which
allows citizens of designated countries to visit the United States
without obtaining a visa.

{time} 2100

Finally, it permits the State Department to waive interview
requirements for certain very low-risk visa applicants, permitting
resources to be focused on higher risk applicants, and it creates a
pilot for premium visa processing.
So these are all of the components that have to be part of the
comprehensive immigration reform. These are the tenets which the
Congressional Black Caucus, in working with the Congressional Hispanic
Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus, believes to be the
cornerstones and the principles by which any comprehensive immigration
bill should be passed.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Thank you, Congressman Horsford.
We have been joined by our distinguished classmate, the gentleman
from Texas, Congressman Marc Veasey, who represents an extremely
diverse district in the Dallas area and who has been a tremendous
thought leader on this issue, and it is my honor to recognize him.
Mr. VEASEY. I want to thank my colleague Hakeem Jeffries, who is from
the great State of New York, and Mr. Horsford for their leadership on
this issue. They, too, understand how important it is that we speak out
on this issue. It is not only important to our constituents and our
States but to the entire country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to address the Chamber
on the very important topic of comprehensive immigration reform. I
would also like to express my gratitude to the Congressional Black
Caucus for not only their leadership on this issue but also for
allowing me, as a member of the caucus, to continue this meaningful and
urgent discussion. As Members of Congress, it is our duty to be the
voices of our constituents by creating and passing legislation that
addresses their concerns.
For much too long, 11 million voices have waited for Congress to work
together on comprehensive immigration reform. They're in neighborhoods
like the ones I represent in Dallas and Fort Worth and Oak Cliff, which
is in Dallas on the north side of Fort Worth. This is an issue that is
very important, not only to those neighborhoods, but to the
neighborhoods in the entirety of the district that I represent. The
consensus on this issue has never been stronger, and I am proud to see
Members on both sides of the aisle working together and finding a
practical solution to this problem while President Obama leads the way.
I applaud the comprehensive immigration reform efforts, including the
proposals put forth by the President and bipartisan groups of Senators,
which call for protecting our borders while respecting the unity and
sanctity of our families. Our undocumented immigrant community includes
DREAMer schoolchildren, who are excelling in math and science, wanting
to attend college in the only country they've ever known. It also
includes hardworking men and women who are only trying to make an
honest living and provide for their families.
Comprehensive immigration reform is about accountability and
responsible public policy. It is not feasible, economical, or moral to
propose the deportation of 11 million people who are living and working
hard in our country. What reform calls for is responsible

[[Page H339]]

public policy that provides certainty to employers that the people
wanting to work are legally eligible to do so, thereby bringing a
significant population of our country out of the shadows.
Mr. Speaker, our borders are more secure than ever before. Border
security is a serious issue, and we must continue to enforce our laws,
but we can also enact a fair immigration system by working together.
Providing appropriate protections to undocumented workers, including
fair wages and safe working conditions, is the right thing to do to
ensure the development of our economy and our Nation's security.
As the Congressman from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, I understand
the necessity of bipartisanship on this issue. My first days in office
have been devoted to relationships and coalition-building on both sides
of the aisle. I look forward to continuing those efforts, and I will
not stop until we achieve a fair and comprehensive immigration reform
plan. I will work closely with my friends in the Congressional Hispanic
Caucus and in the Congressional Black Caucus and with all of my
colleagues who would like to join this effort. The voices of those in
my district and across the country are being heard. It's time to make
comprehensive immigration reform a reality.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the gentleman from Texas.
As he indicated, the time is now for us to move forward--to find
common ground and to figure out how we can advance this issue in a
manner that respects the security concerns that have been articulated
but which also recognizes that, 6 years ago, several benchmarks were
set forth for security measures to be reached in order for
comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway towards citizenship to
be created.
Six years ago, there was a call for at least 20,000 border protection
agents. Right now, there are 21,400 border protection agents. Six years
ago, there was a call for a fence to be constructed along the southern
border of approximately 670 miles, although our border security folks
have said they believe a fence would be adequate that is 652 miles, 651
miles of which have already been constructed. There was a call for
video surveillance assets--these are cameras and radar--deployed along
the borders of this country. Six years ago, the call was for 105 such
video surveillance assets. Mr. Speaker, right now, there are more than
250 deployed in the United States of America. We have met or exceeded
the security benchmarks that have been set. That's why it is time for
us to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform.
We have also been joined by another distinguished colleague of ours,
the gentleman from Newark, New Jersey (Mr. Payne), and I recognize him
at this time.
Mr. PAYNE. Let me first say ``thank you'' to the gentleman from New
York, the gentleman from across the river with whom we are looking
forward to having a great working relationship, as well as with the
gentleman from Nevada, who has also distinguished himself very early in
this Congress.
As we debate this issue, we must not forget that we are a Nation of
immigrants, and it is our rich history of immigration that has
strengthened this country generation after generation. Yes, we must
secure our borders, but we must also recognize that there have been a
record number of deportations and seizures over the last 4 years. This
issue of border security cannot be used as a fear tactic to prevent
progress. In my district, people migrate from all over the globe, not
just from Latin America, but from the Caribbean and Africa and Asia as
well, and they are all in search of the same thing--the American Dream.
Children who were brought here through no fault of their own and who
think of themselves as Americans wait in limbo, so we have a moral
obligation to fix our broken system. It is not only the right thing to
do, but it is the practical thing to do. Over 11 million undocumented
workers live in our communities. They go to our schools, and they work
among us every day. It is time for Congress to provide these 11 million
people their chance to come out of the shadows without the specter of
deportation hanging over their heads.
It's also time to streamline the legal immigration process and to
make it more efficient for high-skilled workers and those working in
science fields to be able to stay and keep their talents here.
In my district--the 10th district of New Jersey, and in every corner
of America, immigrants are receiving degrees in science, technology,
engineering, and math. They are the business leaders and innovators of
the future. But when they graduate, they are sent home.
If we want to remain the pre-eminent country in the world--If we want
to continue to attract the best talent--If we want to continue to out-
innovate the rest of the world--if we want to continue to be a just
nation. Then we must act now.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his comments.
I also want to thank the distinguished members of the CBC, including my
colleague from Nevada, Congressman Horsford, for his leadership, for
his eloquence, and for the facts that he has brought to bear.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of
common-sense immigration reforms that will foster economic growth, keep
our families and our communities together, and protect workers' rights.
America's immigration system is broken, and we must forge a bipartisan
agreement to fix it.
As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I will ensure that the
needs of all communities are addressed in immigration reform. Many
undocumented immigrants were brought here as children and know the
United States as their only home. I support the DREAM Act to allow
these bright young people to build their futures here and contribute to
our nation's prosperity. Strong families are the cornerstone of our
Nation, and I believe provisions to guarantee family unity must be
included in any serious immigration reform bill. I am dedicated to
keeping families together by supporting a pathway to citizenship for
undocumented immigrants.
At the same time, Congress must ensure that immigration reform
positively impacts economic and employment opportunities for all
Americans. I will prioritize improving access to adult education
programs and increasing job training opportunities so that all
Americans can pursue their dreams and provide for their families.
It is time to come together to enact fair and reasonable immigration
reforms that advance our national interests and honor our history as a
country of immigrants. I will work hard in Congress to ensure that
these reforms strengthen our communities and drive our economy forward.

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