[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               H.R. 2, THE SECURE THE BORDER ACT OF 2023

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2023

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to reassert my 
opposition to H.R. 2--the Secure the Border Act of 2023.
  I along with my colleagues have attempted to address many of the ills 
these bills purport by offering common sense amendments that 
Republicans have continued to refuse any meaningful consideration.
  I would like to highlight some of my amendments that were offered in 
both the Judiciary Committee Markup and the Homeland Security Committee 
Markup for H.R. 2.
  In addressing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, we need the 
American people to understand that this is an unfortunate patchwork of 
extreme anti-immigrant proposals that would only add to more chaos at 
the border.
  It includes a variety of illogical measures that would shut down the 
U.S. asylum system and target families and children for the cruelest 
forms of treatment.
  One measure would make overstaying a visa a crime--for the first time 
in our history.
  I offered amendments to H.R. 2 along with many of my Democratic 
colleagues both during Homeland Security Committee markup and for 
consideration by the House Rules Committee for inclusion for 
consideration during this bill--but all Democratic amendments were 
rejected by the Republican majority.
  As a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and 
Judiciary, I have a well-established public record for working to 
address our nation's most pressing immigration issues through sound 
government policies.
  Immigration is not a criminal matter but categorized as a civil claim 
because seeking to travel, requesting refugee status, or attempting to 
make a better life in another country should not result in criminal 
prosecution.
  There are nations who do seek to punish U.S. citizens who are 
traveling abroad through criminal prosecution with tragic consequences.
  I have worked on the issue of unlawfully detained U.S. citizens who 
are held in other countries for a host of reasons that come down to the 
politics of a country and not due to a defendable immigration policy.
  The conduct of the previous Administration in the forced separation 
of families I offered what would have added a mens rea requirement such 
that to be criminally liable, a person must knowingly and willingly 
overstay their visa.
  It is important to remember that an individual can make an honest 
mistake about when they need to depart the country, be physically 
incapable of departing the country, or unable to return because of 
circumstances beyond their control in their home country.
  Yet this bill has no exceptions or flexibility when it comes to 
overstaying a nonimmigrant visa. It is also important to remember that 
if a person overstays their visa, they are already subject to removal. 
The addition of a criminal penalty is both cruel and unnecessary.
  Our immigration system needs reforms, and we are absolutely 
interested in bold new ideas to fix it, but this is not one of them.
  My first amendment for H.R. 2 was offered to require U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
(ICE) to provide Congress with a plan for implementing--within one 
year--the use of body-worn cameras by its agents and officers who are 
engaged in border security or immigration enforcement activities. Any 
implementation of a plan for body-worn cameras would require additional 
Congressional Action.
  Both CBP and ICE have already begun deploying body-worn cameras to 
their frontline officers and agents to provide greater transparency 
into interactions with the public.
  In the event there are allegations of excessive force or other 
misconduct by an officer or agent, footage from body-worn cameras can 
enhance the agencies' ability to investigate.
  Several studies on the effectiveness of body-worn cameras have found 
that police officers wearing cameras generate significantly fewer 
complaints and ``use of force'' reports relative to officers without 
cameras.
  And savings from reduced complaints against officers, and the reduced 
time required to resolve such complaints, can result in substantial 
cost savings.
  It is troubling that the underlying bill seems to seek cost savings 
at the expense of ensuring orderly and fair processing of asylum 
seekers; it would make more sense to save money by investigating 
complaints more quickly and preventing misconduct in the first place.
  My second amendment for H.R. 2 was offered to clarify that the 
official policy of the United States as implemented by the agencies of 
the Department of Homeland Security shall be to keep families together 
and not remove children from parents or responsible adults unless the 
safety or welfare of the child is at risk.
  The official policy of the Trump Administration was to separate 
children from their parents. No child--no matter where they are born--
should be separated from their family, particularly after surviving the 
harrowing journey to the U.S. border.
  My amendment was offered to stand firm in our principles that should 
bar CBP from separating children from their families unless there is 
evidence that the child is being trafficked. It further directs the 
DHS, in coordination with the State Department and HHS and the Attorney 
General to provide quarterly reports to Congress on the status of 
efforts to reunify migrant families and prevent future family 
separations.
  Never again should we allow families to be ripped apart.
  These are common-sense amendments that have been repeatedly 
disregarded by my colleagues across the aisle who have instead chosen 
to put forward legislative attacks on our most vulnerable populations.
  It is time we stop the negativity and counterproductive efforts that 
are ripping apart our country, and to instead focus on coming together 
to work towards sensible and effective solutions that can work for the 
betterment and growth of our country.
  I urge my colleagues to vote no on this wrong minded legislation.

                          ____________________