Roe Opposes Flawed Immigration Measure

Statement

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019:

"Over the last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have apprehended an average of 4,500 people per day, with 5,235 people apprehended on a single day in May. What further evidence do Democrats need to see that we face a humanitarian crisis at our border? Not only is House Democrat leadership refusing to acknowledge the crisis, they want to exacerbate it. This legislation will only incentivize more illegal border crossings, putting more families at risk while making a dangerous journey to our border, at a time when our facilities and border personnel are overwhelmed. The bill completely ignores border security and would instead provide amnesty to over 2.3 million illegal aliens -- three times the number of DACA beneficiaries. Worse, this legislation would allow any alien with up to two misdemeanors, multiple DUI convictions or misdemeanor firearm offenses to receive green cards while simultaneously prohibiting the use of gang databases to identify those connected with gang activity, leaving a loophole for gang members to gain legal status. This sends a clear message that Democrats in Congress no longer believe we should enforce our nation's immigration laws. This is immoral, and it is wrong.

"I support a solution to resolve the legal status of DACA beneficiaries who were brought to the U.S. at a young age through no fault of their own. However, any such plan must include meaningful action to secure our borders, and I will absolutely not support any legislation that gives criminals a special path to citizenship. Last Congress, I supported legislation that would have strengthened our immigration system by investing in effective border security, prioritizing merit-based visas, ensuring employers can easily comply with the law and addressing the needs of DACA beneficiaries. We need responsible solutions that ensures our nation's security."

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