Fix Our Broken Immigration System

Floor Speech

Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, we have seen an unprecedented number of unaccompanied children coming across our border. While many of my colleagues want to rail at the lack of border enforcement, these kids are immediately being caught and turned over to the Border Patrol.

Just throwing more money at the border isn't going to fix the problem. Sending the National Guard to the border isn't going to do it either. In fact, it is pure political posturing.

What we need is comprehensive immigration reform now. Fixing our broken immigration system will clear the backlog so that we can process these children fairly and efficiently.

Instead of adding to the $18 billion we already spend on immigration enforcement a year, we need a comprehensive strategy based on reliable metrics to allocate resources where they are actually needed.

This crisis isn't going to be solved by scare tactics. These are children. We need a wide-ranging plan to ensure the fair and humane treatment of the children, and a long-term strategy to address the root causes of the crisis.

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