[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 101 (Thursday, June 12, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS BY ICE

  (Ms. Tlaib of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, it is outrageous and shameful that the 
President sent in the military to brutalize protesters in Los Angeles. 
The right to dissent in our country is an American value. This is just 
evidence, evidence that our country is falling into fascism. It is an 
abuse of power and a dangerous escalation that will only destabilize 
our communities and hurt protesters.
  I stand with those defending our immigrant neighbors and our 
fundamental rights. Nothing justifies spending $134 million of our tax 
dollars to send in troops to attack fellow Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, immigrant communities have been telling us for years, 
warning us about ICE being rogue, violating their rights. It is 
outrageous. People are now seeing it for themselves and understanding 
why we say abolish ICE, which was created in 2003.
  I agree with them. I agree that we must abolish ICE and protect our 
communities and neighbors. It has caused so much needless harm since 
its creation in 2003.
  This month, Mr. Speaker, a high school senior in my district, Maykol 
Bogoya-Duarte, a high school student 3.5 credits shy of graduating from 
Western International High School, was on a field trip with his 
classmates. Local police profiled him--yes, they did--Oh, he can't 
speak English, let's call immigration. He spoke English just fine.
  That set into motion him being separated from his mother, his school 
community, and ripping away his chance to be able to graduate with his 
classmates.
  ICE cruelty is evident because they sent him to Louisiana. He had 
paperwork on file. He was trying to do the right thing. He was just a 
kid. The cruelty is disgusting, and the Trump administration is 
desperately trying to label kids like Maykol as a criminal.
  We must reject this rhetoric and policies that pit our immigrant 
communities against each other, tear families apart, and put our 
neighbors in harm's way. Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand the 
cruelty and how we need to make sure that, again, we protect our 
community.


                         Celebrating Juneteenth

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery 
in the United States of America, and this day remains deeply meaningful 
to many of our families in the Michigan 12th Congressional District. 
The most beautiful, Blackest city is in the 12th District, the city of 
Detroit.

  It is a celebration of freedom, Black resilience, and the ongoing 
fight for justice for all. In our community, we remember and honor 
generations of Black Americans who fought for liberation.
  As we speak, right now, Republican extremists across our country are 
attempting to erase Black history right before our eyes. We stand with 
residents in Detroit and throughout the country who refuse to let Black 
history be erased. We are committed to uplifting their stories and 
carrying on the movement for true equity and dignity for all.
  Detroit's legacy, its culture, leadership, and resistance are a 
living testament to Black brilliance and perseverance.
  However, we also recognize that freedom was never fully granted. The 
abolition of slavery contained a clause in the 13th Amendment that 
still allows slavery to exist as a ``punishment for crime.'' That 
loophole to this day has fueled mass incarceration, economic 
exploitation, and generational harm, especially for Black Americans.
  That is why I support the abolition amendment, which would strike 
this shameful exception from our Constitution and end the legalized 
practice of slavery in the United States.
  Detroiters understand that reparations are not just about the past. 
This is important. They are about addressing the present-day impacts of 
institutionalized racism, Mr. Speaker. They are about acknowledging the 
labor, land, and lives stolen, and beginning to repair what has been 
broken. That is what it is about. We must give our Black neighbors the 
reparations that they were promised.
  This Juneteenth, I ask everyone in this Chamber to join me in 
honoring our Black neighbors by fighting for what is long overdue: 
reparations, Black maternal health equity, investments in HBCUs, and 
real protections for voting rights.

                          ____________________