[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 106 (Monday, June 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5583-H5584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TIME TO TACKLE THE DILEMMA OF IMMIGRATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, ``Unless someone like you cares a whole 
awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.''
  For those who are not familiar with the insights of Dr. Seuss, that 
quote concludes ``The Lorax.'' You see, when I got home on Friday 
night, my 8-year-old wanted to watch a move with dad. We watched ``The 
Lorax'' with him belly laughing at some of the scenes and me just 
enjoying him curled up beside me, happy to be together at home.

[[Page H5584]]

  Playing through my mind also--as it has for some time--was our 
collective struggle with legal immigration and our Nation's struggle 
with addressing this problem.
  For anyone wondering if I did not see or feel the real painful events 
of separating children from their parents at the border last week, as I 
curled up with my little guy, know that I did. I felt it to my soul. 
You see, my 8-year-old son is also an immigrant. My wife and I adopted 
him from Russia just before Vladimir Putin slammed the door shut for 
other children who could desperately use a loving home in America.
  We had to come home after adoption was granted and wait out an appeal 
period. We had to leave our son behind and then go back and get him 
weeks later. So I understand the problem well and what is at stake.
  America has struggled with this issue since our creation. We are a 
Nation of immigrants. My ancestors arrived in America during the Irish 
potato famine. We can't ignore immigration, both illegal and legal, any 
longer. The issue surrounds us every day, especially if you live in 
border communities, areas of large immigrant populations--legal and 
illegal--or resort communities or agriculture communities who depend 
upon guest workers to even function.
  In 1986, Congress passed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, which was signed 
into law by President Reagan, the last major immigration legislation. 
This granted legal status to about 4 million illegal immigrants with a 
commitment to fund what was necessary to secure our borders.
  However, clearly, we did not secure our borders, and that failure is 
why we struggle right now with this problem. Our Nation's border agents 
stop about 2,000 people deemed to be high risk, attempting to enter the 
United States from Africa and the Middle East at our southern border 
every year.
  Does anybody care to estimate the number of people we do not 
apprehend and the risks they pose to our security?
  A group of young people, often called the DACA population, are 
estimated at 1.6 to 1.8 million people and they are here, young people 
brought here by their parents--yes, illegally, I grant that--but the 
question remains: What do we do? Leave them in limbo? Leave them in 
fear on the edge of society?
  America has an immigration system that is old-fashioned at best. 
Rather than doing what is necessary, like other nations have, a merit-
based immigration system, we have visa lottery, family chain migration, 
and a refugee and asylum system that does not work--all backed up by 
illegal immigration that we can't address solely through deportations 
and hearings.
  We must secure our borders now. Not some day. Not maybe.
  We must end the political circus of the DACA program and fix the 
limbo status for the DACA population now. We must move to merit-based 
immigration, end the visa lottery, and end family chain migration.
  There is no answer to these issues that is perfect, in the view of 
myself and many, because we are in a representative democracy. I don't 
believe perfect exists in the world.
  I spent 35 years in a private business. I don't think I ever saw 
perfect. My spouse and children will tell you I am far from their 
definition of perfect. I came here to address our Nation's challenges 
and take those tough votes gladly because I want to make a difference.
  I chatted with a more senior member at the airport Friday who 
commented that only 100 or 150 Members of this body are prepared to 
truly work on solving this problem, to compromise, and take a tough 
vote on immigration.
  Some believe their idea is the only approach. Some have election 
fears. Some want to message on this issue at elections.
  Less than 12,000 individuals have ever served in the House of 
Representatives. To all with the honor and responsibility of being in 
this Chamber, I say, now is the time to step up, work on this issue, 
compromise, tackle the dilemma, and then take a vote to move it forward 
to a better place.
  Because, again: ``Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 
nothing is going to get better. It's not.''

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