[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H7306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

  (Ms. TITUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to give voice to the 63,000 
unaccompanied minors who have sought refuge at our borders since last 
fall. These vulnerable children have fled terrible violence and poverty 
in their home countries.
  In August, I traveled to McAllen, Texas, where I visited the border 
with CBP agents, I toured processing centers, and I met with Mexican 
officials to discuss the issue.
  There is no easy or quick solution to this very complex problem, but 
there are some steps we can take to relieve the crisis: provide 
resources for shelter and other social services for these children in 
U.S. custody; encourage economic investments in Central America; assess 
the effectiveness of U.S. funding for antigang programs in Central 
America; and increase the number of immigration judges to ensure 
children move quickly and fairly through the process.
  But in the end, this crisis simply underlies the necessity for us to 
enact comprehensive immigration reform. So I urge the House Republican 
leadership to listen to the American people and bring this reform to 
the floor for a vote.

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