[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5289-H5290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IMMIGRATION AND CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Cheney). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, as we stand here, a 5-year-old 
woke up in a cage. She committed no crime. She came here seeking hope 
and refuge.
  Instead, Madam Speaker, she was taken from her parents, from her 
bothers and sisters, from all she knows and loves. She does not know 
where she is; she does not know where her family is; she does not speak 
the language of her captives; and she may never see her family again.
  This morning, Madam Speaker, that innocent little child is crying in 
a cage, and we stand here doing nothing as innocent little babies sit 
in modern-day camps.
  That is not right; it is not fair; and it is not just. And, Madam 
Speaker, history will not be kind to us if we continue to pass this 
unbelievable injustice on to our children.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).
  Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, there is only one word that goes through 
my mind when I think about what this White House is doing to children 
right now. It's ``shame.'' Shame on them.
  For years, we saw Republicans try to attack Democrats for having the 
gall to give millions of Americans healthcare or to address global 
warming. Your leaders stood up on this floor and said shame on us.
  Shame on you for letting this happen, for being willing to let kids 
be kept in warehouses because you can't stand up to this President.
  These are children, children who deserve the love of a mother and a 
father, not cages and concrete floors. These are children, babies in 
some cases. They need someone to comfort them when they can't sleep, to 
cool their food when it is too hot, to give them those basics of love 
and kindness that these children need.
  What they don't need is to be used as hostages for President Trump to 
get his anti-immigrant wish list and a wall. They don't need to be 
demonized when their families are seeking refuge.
  If President Trump and the Republicans don't think these families 
deserve asylum or protection, if they don't think these people deserve 
a chance of a life of safety, they are wrong. But these are matters 
that we can debate.
  But you mean to tell me you don't think these children deserve the 
love of their mother and the comfort of their father? You mean to tell 
me that the Bible puts law above keeping families together? Absolutely 
not.

[[Page H5290]]

  Shame on this White House and on everyone who stands with them. Shame 
on our country if we let this continue.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green).
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding to me.
  Madam Speaker, this is what it has come to. We stand here in the well 
of the House appealing to--in a sense, begging--the President to 
acknowledge the undeniable truth, the undeniable truth that this is a 
crisis that he can end with the stroke of a pen. This is a crisis that 
he has created, and it is a crisis that he can eliminate.
  The undeniable truth is that, if a President can see these babies 
crying and pleading for their parents--momma, father, papa--if the 
President can see this and not take action, his heart has hardened to 
the extent that he is unfit to be President.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, our Nation is mourning. Our 
Nation is crying out to save our little children, save our babies.
  History will not be kind to us as a nation and as a people if we 
continue to go down this road. We must stop the madness, and stop it 
now.
  There was a man by the name of A. Philip Randolph, who was the dean 
of Black leadership during the sixties when we were planning the March 
on Washington. He kept saying: ``Maybe our foremothers and our 
forefathers all came to this great land in different ships, but we're 
all in the same boat now.''
  Our little children, our babies, our young people, are crying out for 
help. We need help from Members of Congress. We can do better.

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