[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9483]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           WORLD REFUGEE DAY

  (Mr. SCHNEIDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on World Refugee Day to 
share the remarkable story of one of my younger constituents, 8-year-
old Raul Ortiz.
  Raul was born amidst the gang-driven violence in Honduras. When he 
was 5, Raul was kidnapped and held for ransom by a crime cartel. 
Following his release, he and his mother later fled to the safety and 
the security offered by the United States.
  Raul and his mom rightly worried for their security if they were 
forced to return to Honduras, and are seeking asylum in our country.
  Raul is visiting Washington today to share a letter he wrote to 
President Trump to remember and protect refugee children like himself.
  Writing of what the United States means to him, Raul writes: ``Here 
we are safe, and we have hope to see another tomorrow.''
  Mr. Speaker, we are a country that was founded and built by 
immigrants and refugees, many fleeing oppression and violence.
  Raul's story is our story. We cannot allow the door of opportunity 
and safety to close on the next generation of Americans like Raul 
seeking refuge here.

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