ICYMI: Burgess speaks on House floor about border crisis
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), went to the House floor to discuss the crisis we are facing at our southern border.
Highlights from remarks:
“All Americans can agree that our immigration system is broken. Before we can fix it, we must address the crisis at our southern border. Let me be clear, what is happening at our border is a crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis. The policies being put forward by this Administration, basically putting an OPEN NOW sign at the border, are inhumane. Smugglers, Traffickers, Foreign banks, etc. etc. are profiting and enticing hopeless people into sending their children or themselves to make a dangerous journey to unlawfully cross our southern border. These bad actors know how to manipulate our laws to their advantage. Putting forward policies that make it easy for them to do so is wrong.”
“There are different drivers for people to migrate from each of these countries, especially with the extensive corruption at the highest levels in this region. One common theme, however, is campaign rhetoric that places an open now sign at our border. The vast majority of people in the Northern Triangle countries live far below the poverty level and lack the job opportunities to escape these poor conditions. El Salvador is affected heavily by gangs who are extortionists and engage in ISIS level brutality. Many individuals currently serving in the government are holdover revolutionaries from the civil war, which was fought 20 years ago.”
“It is simply irresponsible - it is inhumane - for the American government to incentivize anyone to subject themselves or their children to the perilous journey to our border.”
“It is past time to end this broken, inhumane pattern. It is past time to stop demonizing those who seek to enforce our laws. It is past time to understand that non-enforcement of our laws leads to inhumane actions. Congress must find a solution. We must secure our borders. And, we must do it soon rather than later.”
