[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WE MUST SHUT DOWN DETENTION CENTERS ON OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

  (Ms. CLARKE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand several 
letters received from my constituents in Brooklyn, New York, New York 
teens who, like me, are disgusted by the ongoing injustice and inhumane 
treatment of Brown and Black children who are being held in detention 
centers at the southern border of our Nation.
  I will read one letter from Charlee, who is 16 years old, living in 
New York City:
  ``To my fellow teens,
  ``After hearing about your situation, I am sorry our country doesn't 
welcome you with open arms.
  ``Trust that not everywhere is like this . . . America can be 
accepting and supportive.
  ``I hope you'll be released and allowed to become part of a family.
  ``I hope you'll get to see the better places of this country.
  ``You deserve to live freely and safely. I wish you luck.
  ``Believe that your future will be better and someday these detention 
centers will be shut down.''
  She is right. We must shut down these inhumane detention centers. We 
must put an end to the irreparable mental and physical damage being 
done to our most vulnerable in the United States. We must reunite these 
families, and we must stand on the right side of history.

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