[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING JESSICA SUAREZ NIETO DURING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
(Mr. Garcia of Illinois was recognized to address the House for 5
minutes.)
Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, during Teacher Appreciation
Week, I rise to honor Jessica Suarez Nieto, a middle school teacher at
Telpochcalli School, a dual language school, recently named Bilingual
Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.
As a young immigrant child who didn't speak English when I arrived in
the U.S., I knew firsthand the impact that teachers like Ms. Suarez can
have on their students.
Ms. Suarez is a champion of dual language education. She uses
language as a bridge to connect with families, affirm cultural
identities, and empower students. She helps them feel seen, heard, and
confident in classrooms where they are often told to shrink or stay
silent. She teaches her students more than just math. She teaches them
that they matter. She gives them a voice.
I thank Ms. Suarez for being an incredible teacher and for her work
and deep commitment to her students.
Celebrating Centennial Anniversary of Leyden High School
Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a
century of excellence in public education, the 100-year anniversary of
Leyden High School District No. 212, proudly serving the western
suburbs of Chicago.
What began as a 2-year school in a portable building has grown into a
thriving, two-campus district, East Leyden and West Leyden, now serving
more than 3,300 students with over 200 dedicated teachers.
Rooted in blue and gold and soaring under the banner of the eagle,
Leyden's commitment to academic and artistic excellence has inspired
pride, unity, and spirit across the district's communities.
True to its mission to educate, enrich, and empower, Leyden does more
than reach; it uplifts. It lives by one simple, powerful motto: Do
What's Best for the Kids.
I congratulate the students, teachers, alumni, and school leaders of
this century of service. Here is to the next 100.
Migrant Abduction
Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm
on a crisis threatening our democracy.
President Trump has defied a unanimous Supreme Court order blocking
the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and, instead, vanishing him to a
prison in El Salvador without a trial, without a hearing, and without a
shred of justice.
This isn't just cruelty, but it is lawlessness. It is a direct
assault on our values and the rule of law. He was abducted from his
home and sent to a foreign prison infamously known for human rights
violations. When the President defies the courts, he crosses the line
into tyranny. He is even arresting judges whom he sees as standing in
his way.
When tyranny takes root, no one is safe. Today, it is immigrants with
tattoos, 2-year-olds, and even children with cancer. Tomorrow, it could
be anyone who falls out of favor, even Republicans who don't clap long
enough or make the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring.
We have to stand up for our rights and for the rule of law not just
for Kilmar but for the future of our Republic.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
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