Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Statement on President's Supplemental Appropriations Request

Press Release

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee and Ranking Member on the Border and Maritime Subcommittee, released the following statement on the President's request for $3.7 billion in emergency funding to address the surge of unaccompanied children crossing our southern border, and for $600 million to fight wildfires:

"The scope of the humanitarian need presented by the thousands of unaccompanied children crossing our southern border requires Congressional action. To protect the health and well-being of these vulnerable children, Congress should move immediately to meet the President's request for emergency funds. This is a migration of children fleeing for their lives.

"Politicizing the matter will do nothing to solve the crisis. That is why I have introduced the "Justice for Children Now Act of 2014' which will add an additional 70 Immigration Judges who can be hired IMMEDIATELY to the office of Executive Office of Immigration Review. I have been joined as original co-sponsors by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep Ruben Hinojosa and Rep. Filemon Vela. I hope to amend the supplemental request to include these 70 new judges.

"I will also be advocating for the cities and states that are asking for additional funds because of this humanitarian crisis. This crisis can be handled with a combination of focusing on the violence in those countries in which these children are fleeing from and with working closely with the families of these children.

"I fully support the additional funds for the following:

* funding for additional ICE Border Patrol personnel in the Rio Grande Valley;

* resources to improve processing facilities in Nogales and McAllen and to establish up to four additional processing facilities;

* additional agents for investigative and enforcement activities to disrupt smuggling;

* funds for additional immigration judges to expand immigration court capacity and speed up cases;

* support for efforts to repatriate and reintegrate migrants to Central America, to help the governments in the region better control their borders, and to address the underlying root causes driving migration;

* funding for media campaigns in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to emphasize the dangers of the journey and deliver the message that unaccompanied children are not given a permit to stay in the U.S.;

* $1.8 billion for HHS to provide appropriate care for unaccompanied children, consistent with Federal law.

"The additional funds are essential to ensure the safety, security, and proper care of the children fleeing violence in their home countries. Our border security agencies are doing their best to stretch limited resources. The supplemental appropriation will provide additional border security resources as well as funds to assist with processing immigration cases, while guaranteeing all appropriate due process. Our values as a nation and our basic human compassion for children require this much.

"As we address the situation along the border, and the wildfires affecting dozens of communities throughout the west, it is my hope that Congress will act in a serious, speedy and bipartisan manner."

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