[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 11, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IMMIGRATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, once again, I am proud to stand 
in the well of the Congress of the United States of America. I am not 
proud to stand here today for the reasons that I shall articulate.
  Mr. Speaker, we live in a world where it is not enough for things to 
be right; they must also look right. Mr. Speaker, when the Federal 
Government separates children from their parents, indeed, mothers from 
their babies, it does not look right.
  Some may argue that it is right because of various laws and 
legislation that might exist, but it doesn't look right for this 
country, the country that believes in liberty and justice for all. It 
doesn't look right for the United States of America to separate babies 
from their mothers.
  Where is the moral compass?
  There ought to be an inner voice within us that says there is 
something wrong here. We are taking a baby from the baby's mother, and 
we are going to put the baby in a location separate and apart from the 
mother. The baby needs the mother. The mother is there to nurture the 
baby.
  How can we do this in good conscience?
  We live in a world where it is not enough for things to be right; 
they must also look right. And this doesn't look right to the world.
  I have gone to visit these children. I went to Brownsville. I saw the 
children. They are caring for the children, but the missing element, 
the most important thing that these children need, was not there: their 
parents.
  I went to three other sites before going to Brownsville and, Mr. 
Speaker, I, as a Member of the Congress of the United States of 
America, went to a site in my congressional district, and I went to 
other sites. I could not see the children, and I was asked to leave the 
premises. I behaved in an orderly fashion. I had two forms of 
identification. But not only could I not see the children, I was asked 
to leave the property.
  There is no transparency. This is the Federal Government holding 
children and not allowing open access to these children by Members of 
Congress.
  It is not enough for things to be right; they must also look right. 
When the Members of the Congress of the United States of America cannot 
see the children who have been secreted in various locations around the 
country and separated from their parents, not only does this not look 
right, it isn't right.
  At some point on this infinite continuum that we call time, we will 
all have to account for our time. At some point, when the omnipotent, 
the omnipresent, and omniscient are one, we will have to answer to what 
is happening to these children today. These children belong to all of 
us in the sense that they are children of our world, and we must answer 
and account for what is happening today.
  So I stand here in the well, a proud Member of Congress and proud to 
be an American, but sad to know that we have not done enough to reunite 
these children with their parents.
  Mr. Speaker, if you separate children from their parents, if you take 
babies from their mothers, then you must have a plan to reunite them. 
When you do not, you are failing not only those parents, but you are 
failing the future of a great country, because it gives us the 
appearance of not caring for people who are in harm's way who have come 
asking for help. It gives us the appearance of not being that Good 
Samaritan who not only helped the person who was in harm's way who had 
been beset upon by thieves, it gives us the appearance of not being 
that Good Samaritan who said: I am going to help you. I am going to 
take you to the inn. I am going to leave; I am coming back; and I will 
pay more if you need more.
  This is the United States of America. We can do better.

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