[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 185 (Thursday, October 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5730-H5731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HORRIFIC EVENT ON SEPTA TRAIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I am here today to talk about something 
that apparently the person whose representative serves in this Congress 
refuses to talk about, and that is the horrific events that occurred 
last Wednesday on a SEPTA train.
  ``SEPTA'' stands for Southeast Public Transit Authority. It is the 
transit system that runs around Philadelphia.
  Now, I don't know whether folks in the House know it, but for nearly 
40 minutes, a woman on the train was harassed and groped before an 
illegal alien forcibly ripped off her clothes and raped her right there 
on the train, while up to 10 riders watched without intervening. They 
didn't even bother to call the police.
  Imagine this. It actually gets worse. This hellacious experience 
continued as the train passed 20 train stations. Instead of taking 
action, other passengers watched and some actually are reported to have 
filmed the attack.
  It actually gets worse. The perpetrator of this horrific crime is 
here in our country illegally. Despite previous convictions of sexual 
abuse and drug crimes, he is another one that was released from 
immigration detention rather than being deported.
  Now, the severe emotional and physical trauma experienced by the 
victim could and should have been prevented by our elected officials, 
who often advocate for open borders and defunding the police. They have 
failed her, they have failed us, and they have created an environment 
where she was victimized in front of others by a man who should have 
been deported years ago.
  While the man should have been deported years ago, the man should not 
have been in our country in the first place. We have laws for these 
things, and we should enforce those laws so that this lady could live 
safely in her American city.
  This horrific crime raises questions and concerns about where we are 
as a Nation and how we got here.
  When my colleagues on the other side of the aisle decide they want to 
speak on this floor and attack law enforcement and denigrate our 
immigration officials, like the ones that were down at the border on 
horseback trying to enforce the laws that are passed in this very 
Chamber, and they actively seek to release dangerous criminals into 
society, I wish they would realize that there are real human victims of 
their reckless, irresponsible, and absolutely dangerous policies and 
rhetoric.
  I hope the majority keeps this in mind as they continue to work on 
their $3.5 trillion spending bill that promises amnesty to dangerous 
criminals and puts Americans citizens in danger. That is what it does; 
Amnesty, letting criminals stay here without consequence, without 
accountability.
  But there is accountability for this poor lady, I guarantee you that.
  Open borders, abolish ICE, no bail, and defund the police are not 
merely harmless catchphrases that Big-Government, socialist politicians 
can spew without consequence. That rhetoric results in horrific crimes 
against citizens that are someone's constituent, someone who took an 
oath to the Constitution to defend this country and the citizens of 
this country. They are someone's family member. This was someone's 
daughter, someone's little girl.
  I want to commend the off-duty SEPTA employee for having the courage 
to step up and do the right thing, calling the police and ending the 
most horrific event of this young woman's life.
  I also want to thank the SEPTA police officer--law enforcement. Yes, 
I want to thank law enforcement who intervened and brought this 
nightmare to an end.
  But I do want to take a moment and ask my colleagues: How much more 
must we endure?
  There are so many others, so many other victims, from this side of 
the country to the other side: Kate Stienle

[[Page H5731]]

in California, killed by an illegal alien; Derek Kichline in 
Pennsylvania, far from the border, killed by the head of the Latin 
Kings in town; Mollie Tibbetts, in the heartland of the country, killed 
by an illegal alien. Read the story about Nilsa Padilla, whose three 
little girls watched an illegal alien beat her to death, chop up her 
body, dispose of it, and then went on to kill their youngest sister, a 
little toddler. Then he left the country and was never brought to 
justice, as far as we know.
  How much longer? How many more? We have seen record numbers this year 
alone at the border of illegal aliens coming into our country and 
imperiling and endangering our citizens. It is our job. We take an oath 
to defend them. I think you get the point, Madam Speaker.

                          ____________________