[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 22, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H3548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CBP TURNS HOUSTON AIRPORT INTO TRAP

  (Ms. BALINT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BALINT. Madam Speaker, I take to the floor today because I am 
angry and so are Vermonters. We are furious because of what happened 
yesterday to a Vermonter, a U.S. citizen, as he attempted to return 
home.
  Wilmer Chavarria is a community leader. He is a school superintendent 
in my State. He was held and interrogated for hours yesterday in the 
Houston airport by CBP agents and given no reason for his detainment. 
Wilmer called this experience psychological terror.
  Again, we are talking about a U.S. citizen here. When we say this can 
happen to any of us, this is what we are talking about. This kind of 
violation of our constitutional rights is how leaders use terror to 
intimidate us into silence.
  I don't want to hear about how everyone is going after the violent 
criminals in this country and trying to get violent criminals off the 
streets, when community leaders and school superintendents are being 
detained because of the color of their skin and the sound of their last 
name.
  Madam Speaker, we need to hold onto our collective outrage. We do not 
need to accept this. This is not what Americans want.

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