[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT POLICIES

  (Mr. Menendez of New Jersey was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against the 
administration's immigration enforcement policies.
  For months the President and House Republicans have said that they 
are only targeting violent criminals.
  Why is it, then, that last week ICE attempted to deport a constituent 
of mine who had been granted legal protections against removal under 
the Convention Against Torture?
  This woman, the victim of unspeakable crimes in her home country, 
came here to the United States for her safety which is now being 
undermined by this administration.
  Mr. Speaker, imagine being a United States citizen and the horror you 
would feel when your family member, again, someone who had been granted 
legal protection, is taken in the middle of the night and driven to 
Mexico, a country to which she has no ties.
  How is this making our country safer?
  How is this upholding the ideals of our Nation?
  Mr. Speaker, when this administration talks about mass deportations, 
this is what they mean: taking people in the middle of the night who 
have a right to be here and trying to remove them to foreign countries.
  My office is doing everything we can to help this woman and her 
family, but it begs the question: If this is how the administration 
treats someone with an attorney and the support of a Member of 
Congress, what does that mean for all those who don't have anyone 
fighting for them? Who is speaking up for them? If we say nothing, then 
what does that say about us?
  This can't be what we stand for as a country. As a grandson of 
immigrants and the Representative of a proud immigrant community, it is 
something that I will always fight against.

                              {time}  1100


            GOP Attempting to Undermine Separation of Powers

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the Trump administration 
and House Republicans have set their sights on the Federal judiciary, 
calling for unprecedented changes to our courts, attacking the 
character of dedicated Federal judges, and attempting to undermine the 
separation of powers that has upheld our democracy for centuries.
  As an attorney by trade, I understand how concerning this is for our 
Nation's future. In this moment, we cannot be silent nor treat these 
attacks as normal.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to read excerpts from the American Bar 
Association's statement on the Republican assault on our judiciary into 
the record.
  ``There have now been statements by officials criticizing judges for 
not following the last people. Judges swear oaths to follow the law, 
not public opinion polling or political chatter or what someone 
contends is the will of the people. The Chief Justice of the U.S. 
Supreme Court wrote in his `2024 Year End Report on the Federal 
Judiciary': ` . . . Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in 
cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed.'
  ``We may disagree with interpretation of case law, but it is 
unacceptable to personally target judges just because we disagree with 
their ruling. We cannot have a judicial system where the government 
seeks to remove judges simply because they do not rule as the 
government desires. Considering the increasing physical threats to 
judges, these are clearly efforts to intimidate judges and our 
courts.''
  ``We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession. We 
will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal 
profession into something that rewards those who agree with the 
government and punishes those who do not. Words and actions matter. And 
the intimidating words and actions we have heard must end.''
  ``Consistent with the Chief Justice's report, these efforts cannot be 
sanctioned or normalized. There are clear choices facing our 
profession. We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to 
continue or we can stand for the rule of law and values we hold dear. 
We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers who serve in 
elected positions, to speak out against intimidation. We acknowledge 
that there are risks to standing up and addressing these important 
issues. But if the ABA and lawyers do not speak, who will speak for the 
organized bar? Who will speak for the judiciary? Who will protect our 
system of justice? If we don't speak now, when will we speak?
  ``The American Bar Association has chosen to stand and speak. Now is 
the time for all of us to speak with one voice. We invite you to stand 
with us.''

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