[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            I AM AN AMERICAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I am an American man, born in Chicago, to 
parents who were born citizens of the United States.
  The ban on legal immigration from seven countries does not impact me 
or my family directly, but, as an American, I am speaking up today. I 
am an immigrant.
  The proposed roundup of millions of immigrants will not hit my house 
directly, but, as an American, I am standing up today to say I, too, am 
undocumented.
  I have not fled systematic persecution, but, today, like a lot of 
Americans, I am speaking out and saying clearly that I, too, am a 
refugee.
  Today, I am an 81-year-old man who was originally from Iran who 
traveled with a heart problem to the United States--with my American 
family and a green card in my hand--and was detained at O'Hare 
International Airport in Chicago.
  Today, I am a Fulbright scholar who was put on a plane back to Iran 
because our government did not understand what the new President was 
doing, how he was doing it, or what people already traveling should do.
  Today, I am a citizen of the United Kingdom--I am English--with a 
green card, who was blocked entering at O'Hare with my U.S. citizen 
wife and my U.S. citizen child. That is who I am today.
  Today, I am a student who is in the middle of my academic career at 
the University of Chicago who does not know whether I can come back to 
school and continue my education.
  Today, I am one of more than 67,000 refugees who is already approved 
for travel and certified by both the United States and the U.N. in a 
painstaking process that took me years to complete, but I am stranded 
overseas.
  Today, I am gay or Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Shia, Sunni, am from a 
tribe or ethnic group that is systematically targeted for persecution, 
or am living in a country anywhere in the world that cannot protect my 
basic safety, and the United States is closed to me.
  Today, I am an immigrant who has a green card and who has followed 
all of the rules to the letter, but I cannot renew my green card or 
lawfully apply for citizenship here in the U.S. because I am from one 
of seven mostly Muslim countries on Trump's list where, incidentally, 
there are no Trump hotels, buildings, or golf courses.
  By now, the entire world knows that the President of the United 
States screwed up bigly last week and caused an international and 
domestic crisis and that his staff is lying when they say it was a 
``huge success.''
  When the German Chancellor has to lecture your President about the 
Geneva Convention, you have made one hell of a bad decision.
  When the Prime Minister of England is saying on one day that the U.S. 
and Britain have a special relationship but that, on the very next day, 
you are keeping her citizens out of your country when they are green 
card holders, your country has made a mistake.
  When Rudy Giuliani--of all people--makes it clear that the President 
requested a Muslim ban and that they dressed up the policy to make it 
look better but still carved out exceptions to help Christians, you are 
probably acting in an unconstitutional manner.
  That is not what one but two Federal judges thought: that there are 
significant enough constitutional issues that have been raised by 
recent executive actions to stop the President's order from being 
implemented.
  Honestly, even at this hour, I am not sure they are fully complying 
with the orders or will reverse the actions of government officers at 
airports who coerced--intimidated--green card holders into signing away 
their rights and being deported.
  On Sunday, the glaring bald spot of the President's executive order 
was combed over by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who said that 
keeping out travelers who already live in the U.S. and have green cards 
is not in the interests of the United States, to which the entire world 
said, sarcastically: Ya' think?
  Today, I am an American, and I am standing up. Today, I am one of the 
millions of Americans who went to airports, Trump hotels, or town 
squares and who is marching peacefully, praying privately, and 
preparing personally to act as an advocate for immigrants and other 
families in our communities--women, Jews, gentiles, LGBT, and every one 
of every color and shape.
  Today, they did not come for us, but we could not be quiet. We joined 
arms and worked together as Americans. We pledged to stand up for those 
who are being targeted so that we can protect each other and stem the 
next wave of targeted attacks.

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