[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 23, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H6669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FIX OUR BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
(Mr. GARCIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, we have seen an
unprecedented number of unaccompanied children coming across our
border. While many of my colleagues want to rail at the lack of border
enforcement, these kids are immediately being caught and turned over to
the Border Patrol.
Just throwing more money at the border isn't going to fix the
problem. Sending the National Guard to the border isn't going to do it
either. In fact, it is pure political posturing.
What we need is comprehensive immigration reform now. Fixing our
broken immigration system will clear the backlog so that we can process
these children fairly and efficiently.
Instead of adding to the $18 billion we already spend on immigration
enforcement a year, we need a comprehensive strategy based on reliable
metrics to allocate resources where they are actually needed.
This crisis isn't going to be solved by scare tactics. These are
children. We need a wide-ranging plan to ensure the fair and humane
treatment of the children, and a long-term strategy to address the root
causes of the crisis.
____________________