“I can honestly say that I have not seen such fear and anxiety in immigrant communities”
Washington, DC –(ENEWSPF)–February 4, 2016. On Wednesday, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) spoke during the Morning Hour on the floor of the House of Representatives (approx. 10 am ET) about Central American refugees and immigration raids carried out to round them up. On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing assigning blame for the refugees fleeing Central America to President Obama, while at the same time, the Obama Administration is saying raids in Central American communities in the US have substantially slowed the influx of asylum seekers and refugees. Lost in the politics is any serious attempt to legislate, to do something about the broader issues that drive migration, that feed the black market, or that trigger raids on family homes and school children.
The Congressman said:
I have not seen such fear and anxiety in immigrant communities, where mothers and fathers are keeping their children out of school because of the fear of being arrested by immigration authorities. The home raids announced by the Obama Administration around Christmas have struck a nerve. They have sparked rumors and panic and have multiplied as city after city have experienced raids or the rumors of raids.
But Thursday’s Judiciary Committee hearing will not address anything of substance and “will continue to feed the hucksterism and red meat politics that Americans hate…” He concluded,
For all of the Americans that want a legal and accountable immigration system and all of the families that fear a knock on their door, this Congress again seems to have nothing — and to do nothing other than let the demagogues and fear rule the day. Mr. Speaker, that is a shame.
Rep. Gutiérrez represents the Fourth District of Illinois, is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is a Member of the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, and is the Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Source: http://www.gutierrez.house.gov
