[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 122 (Wednesday, July 19, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LUIS V. GUTIERREZ

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2017

  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National 
Immigration Law Center for its leadership and decades-long commitment 
to defending and advancing the rights of immigrants with low income.
  On July 25th, the Coalition on Human Needs will rightfully honor the 
National Immigration Law Center as one of its Human Needs Heroes for 
the year. Since 1979, NILC has grown to be one of the premier 
immigrants' rights organizations, strategically using a combination of 
litigation, policy, communications, and alliance-building strategies to 
effect social change.
  During my years in office, I have been proud to work with NILC to 
advance fair and moral immigration policies. During a debate that all 
too often plays to fear rather than fact, NILC works to make sure that 
policymakers remember the humanity of immigrants, their irreplaceable 
contributions to our economy and culture, and the real effects these 
laws have on their lives. By defending immigrants' rights to due 
process, fair treatment as workers, and preventing racial profiling, 
NILC has benefited our communities and strengthened our democracy.
  I have been proud to work with NILC on many important bills and 
advocacy efforts. Over the years, we have worked tirelessly to keep 
families together through deportation defense. We have fought to 
reverse cuts to immigrant families' welfare benefits. We have put our 
heads together to draft smart, fair, and humane Comprehensive 
Immigration Reform and DREAM legislation to make immigration legal 
again and to protect young immigrants. We have advocated for 
immigrants' health by creating legislation that would allow 
undocumented immigrants to obtain healthcare through the Affordable 
Care Act. Today, we continue to work together to protect our country's 
immigrant community that is under the threat of mass detention, 
deportation, and overall criminalization of immigrants. Together, we 
have not and we will not back down from this threat. I am proud to be 
an ally of NILC, and I applaud them in their tireless commitment to 
creating fair and just immigration policies.
  The National Immigration Law Center has been a trusted source of 
policy on the intersection of poverty and immigration, an unyielding 
voice for making sure the debate on immigration reflects the lives of 
those that it affects, and a staunch defender of immigrant rights. It 
is my honor today to recognize the National Immigration Law Center for 
its dedication and skill, as well as to thank them for all that they 
have done on behalf of immigrants.

                          ____________________