[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5290-H5291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IMMIGRATION AND CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. As a 
father, as a grandfather, as a human being who cares about children, I 
ask: For God's sake, America, what is happening to your soul?
  There are 11,000 children who are being held in jail cells throughout 
the country. Families arriving at the border seeking asylum 
voluntarily, seeking refuge voluntarily, are being detained, and they 
are being held in jail. Children as young as the children here today--
as young as the children here today--are being held in jail. Babies are 
being separated from their mothers, even while breastfeeding them. This 
constitutes child abuse.
  Madam Speaker, show some basic compassion for these young children, 
their brothers and sisters and their parents. Every single Member of 
Congress should be able to stand behind the simple idea that families, 
regardless of where they are born, belong together.
  I know that Jesus of Nazareth was a refugee, and he paid the ultimate 
price.
  Madam Speaker, this is a historic fight for the soul of our Nation, 
whether we remain a nation of aspirations or we become a nation of 
deportation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson 
Lee).

                              {time}  0915

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, you can hear the babies crying. When 
I went to the south Texas processing center, places where they were 
holding children, you could see the cages. You could hear and feel the 
warmth of Roger that was 9 months old who I held in my hands and who I 
did not want to let go. I could feel that because Roger's relatives had 
been taken from him, and he was crying.
  The babies are coming every day. There are 2,000 children who have 
been snatched from their families. It is child abuse.
  Mr. President, you can come to the Republican Conference and make 
jokes and raise your fist, but you can sign right now on behalf of the 
American people that you will let these babies go to their families.
  Pope Francis said: ``A person's dignity does not depend on them being 
a citizen, a migrant, or a refugee. Saving the life of someone fleeing 
war and poverty is an act of humanity.''
  This is a sin. Please, for Carlos and Alajerry, please let our 
children go to their families.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New 
York (Ms. Velazquez).
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, look at these young, innocent faces. I 
suspect many of these children are seeing the House floor for the very 
first time.
  It is unfortunate that their first experience in this temple of 
democracy, the people's House, is to be here as we call our government 
to stop terrorizing children on the U.S.-Mexico border.
  This past weekend, Madam Speaker, I traveled with Leader Pelosi and 
the

[[Page H5291]]

chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. What we saw there was 
heart-wrenching. We have heard the audio of children crying: ``Mami, 
papi.''
  Madam Speaker, it begs the question: Has our Nation lost its way? But 
nothing is as heart-wrenching as seeing children's faces in person, 
kids who were just taken from the arms of their parents, and children 
in cages crying for their parents. This is child abuse.
  Let's be clear, Madam Speaker, this travesty could end today. Donald 
Trump could end this today by a single phone call.
  To my Republican friends on the other side of the aisle, I simply say 
this: What happened to the party of family values? History will 
remember this moment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all Members to refrain 
from references to guests on the floor, and Members are reminded to 
direct their remarks to the Chair.

                          ____________________