[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
               ALARMING SITUATION ON OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the situation on our 
southern border and the influx of unaccompanied migrant children is 
both tragic and alarming. Even more concerning is the lack of 
leadership coming from the White House.
  We also know that a law passed in 2008--the William Wilberforce 
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization--has further complicated 
the administration's response. The law guarantees minors from Central 
America a court date and assistance for temporary relocation as they 
wait out their pending appeal. Unfortunately, a large number of these 
individuals evade attending these proceedings. Few minors are sent 
home, and most are able to stay for years, if not permanently.
  The current situation is a stark reminder of just how flawed the 
Senate's immigration reform bill is. Granting amnesty to millions would 
merely reinforce the perception that, if you come to the United States 
illegally, you will be rewarded. Unfortunately, billions in new 
spending will not reverse the perception of a lenient enforcement 
environment in the United States.
  What we need is for the White House to enforce the laws, secure the 
borders, and put aside political games and start working with Congress 
in a bipartisan manner.

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