Rep. Jayapal: ‘We Should Be Talking About the Fact That Immigrants Are Good for the Country and Good for Our Economy’

Jayapal Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ I m prepared to ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman assaulting a ░░░░░░░░ enforcement officer is a ░░░░░░░░ offense that deserves both ░░░░░░░░ and immigration consequences That ░░░░░░░░ why serious assaults on ░░░░░░░░ enforcement officers are already ░░░░░░░░ violations that require detention ░░░░░░░░ deportation The bill before ░░░░░░░░ today would do absolutely ░░░░░░░░ to change that This ░░░░░░░░ instead would dramatically expand ░░░░░░░░ type of conduct that ░░░░░░░░ subject somebody to mandatory ░░░░░░░░ to include people who ░░░░░░░░ not have even committed ░░░░░░░░ crime at all That ░░░░░░░░ not a good use ░░░░░░░░ our limited law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ Instead of wasting our ░░░░░░░░ on these bills that ░░░░░░░░ nothing to fix our ░░░░░░░░ system and stand no ░░░░░░░░ of becoming law we ░░░░░░░░ be talking about how ░░░░░░░░ create a workable immigration ░░░░░░░░ that allows Americans to ░░░░░░░░ with their family and ░░░░░░░░ American businesses and universities ░░░░░░░░ attract the best and ░░░░░░░░ brightest essentially creating a ░░░░░░░░ process so that people ░░░░░░░░ t be forced to ░░░░░░░░ to the border as ░░░░░░░░ only way to come ░░░░░░░░ the United States We ░░░░░░░░ be talking about the ░░░░░░░░ that immigrants are good ░░░░░░░░ the country and good ░░░░░░░░ our economy One in ░░░░░░░░ American doctors were born ░░░░░░░░ and roughly 45 percent ░░░░░░░░ Fortune 500 companies were ░░░░░░░░ by immigrants or the ░░░░░░░░ of immigrants 70 percent ░░░░░░░░ agricultural workers are immigrants ░░░░░░░░ feed us heal us ░░░░░░░░ help ensure that this ░░░░░░░░ remains an economic powerhouse ░░░░░░░░ could be embracing the ░░░░░░░░ impacts of immigrants rather ░░░░░░░░ demonizing them The Congressional ░░░░░░░░ Office recently announced that ░░░░░░░░ immigrants will add 1 ░░░░░░░░ in previously unexpected revenue ░░░░░░░░ our country s GDP ░░░░░░░░ 2023 and 2024 Similarly ░░░░░░░░ Department of Health and ░░░░░░░░ Services found that over ░░░░░░░░ 15 year period asylees ░░░░░░░░ refugees contributed nearly 124 ░░░░░░░░ more in revenue than ░░░░░░░░ received in services from ░░░░░░░░ government Documented and undocumented ░░░░░░░░ pay tens of billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars in taxes each ░░░░░░░░ But instead the majority ░░░░░░░░ on scapegoating and fear ░░░░░░░░ immigrants It is true ░░░░░░░░ the immigration system has ░░░░░░░░ problems but they cannot ░░░░░░░░ solved through an enforcement ░░░░░░░░ approach We have been ░░░░░░░░ that approach for 30 ░░░░░░░░ and it has failed ░░░░░░░░ truth is that the ░░░░░░░░ system is all connected ░░░░░░░░ are coming to the ░░░░░░░░ because the legal immigration ░░░░░░░░ has not been updated ░░░░░░░░ over 30 years and ░░░░░░░░ cannot find any other ░░░░░░░░ to come in The ░░░░░░░░ often talks about legal ░░░░░░░░ Well let me tell ░░░░░░░░ that the wait time ░░░░░░░░ some permanent residents to ░░░░░░░░ their families into this ░░░░░░░░ is over a century ░░░░░░░░ A century for legal ░░░░░░░░ residents to bring their ░░░░░░░░ members into the country ░░░░░░░░ are begging us to ░░░░░░░░ the employment based immigration ░░░░░░░░ because the elements on ░░░░░░░░ tech visas were set ░░░░░░░░ floppy discs were the ░░░░░░░░ of technology and these ░░░░░░░░ cannot hire the people ░░░░░░░░ they need And the ░░░░░░░░ number of immigration judges ░░░░░░░░ we have are absolutely ░░░░░░░░ under a massive backlog ░░░░░░░░ asylum cases so extensive ░░░░░░░░ it is now taking ░░░░░░░░ over eight years to ░░░░░░░░ even a hearing Why ░░░░░░░░ t the majority just ░░░░░░░░ us put more money ░░░░░░░░ immigration judges so we ░░░░░░░░ resolve that backlog Why ░░░░░░░░ open legal pathways for ░░░░░░░░ who are trying to ░░░░░░░░ here legally I know ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman because I ░░░░░░░░ here and it took ░░░░░░░░ 17 years to navigate ░░░░░░░░ immigration system and become ░░░░░░░░ U S citizen but ░░░░░░░░ was several decades ago ░░░░░░░░ you can t even ░░░░░░░░ through the process I ░░░░░░░░ that one day we ░░░░░░░░ get back to actually ░░░░░░░░ to passing real bills ░░░░░░░░ can make a difference ░░░░░░░░ the lives of the ░░░░░░░░ people But I fear ░░░░░░░░ Chairman that today is ░░░░░░░░ that day I urge ░░░░░░░░ to oppose this bill ░░░░░░░░ I yield back the ░░░░░░░░ of my time.”