Congresswoman Hahn Issues Statement on Destructive House Republican Border Bills

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) released the following statement on the House Republican border bills that will jeopardize protections for immigrant children:

"Today, I voted against the Republicans' destructive bill that aims to deport innocent, vulnerable young children who have fled brutal violence in their home countries to seek refuge in our country. At a time when our nation is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, we should be addressing the issue in a responsible and compassionate manner by providing these children with due process. However, House Republicans have decided to deport thousands of innocent children and their families who are simply seeking protection. In essence, they are criminalizing these young victims by seeking to militarize our borders by deploying National Guard troops to guard our border, at a hefty cost of $35 million to the taxpayers. This is preposterous and a gross misuse of the funds. If we are willing to turn our backs on these young children, we prove equally as willing to abandon our identity as a country. The families seeking refuge on our southern border prove to embody the resilience of the human spirit--they have fled violence and abuse in their home countries. We have a serious humanitarian crisis on our border and this bill does nothing to address it. In addition to turning away thousands of children seeking asylum, the House Republicans also took to the floor for a vote in the dead of night to end the progress made by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which aids our nations DREAMers.

These bills will serve only to block further renewal of current beneficiaries and tear apart hardworking immigrant families. When did we as a nation abandon the promise we etched onto the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free?' As Americans, we have an obligation to provide these families and children in need with protection, not deportation. We should be bringing immigration reform to the House floor for a vote rather than forcing the deportation of young promising Americans. It is a sad day in the House when Republicans can manage to find the audacity to draft a law suit to nowhere, but cannot manage to develop a compassionate, sensible solution that aids families in need. House Republicans are playing partisan politics with these bills that have no chance of passing the Senate or being signed by the President."

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