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

RUSH TRANSCRIPT The speaker ░░░░░░░░ tempore the gentlelady from ░░░░░░░░ is recognized Ms Jayapal ░░░░░░░░ m prepared to close ░░░░░░░░ a law enforcement officer ░░░░░░░░ a serious offense that ░░░░░░░░ both criminal and immigration ░░░░░░░░ That is why serious ░░░░░░░░ on law enforcement officers ░░░░░░░░ already immigration violations that ░░░░░░░░ detention and deportation The ░░░░░░░░ before us today would ░░░░░░░░ absolutely nothing to change ░░░░░░░░ This legislation instead would ░░░░░░░░ expand the type of ░░░░░░░░ that would subject somebody ░░░░░░░░ mandatory detention to include ░░░░░░░░ who may not have ░░░░░░░░ committed a crime at ░░░░░░░░ That is not a ░░░░░░░░ use of our limited ░░░░░░░░ enforcement resources Instead of ░░░░░░░░ our time on these ░░░░░░░░ that do nothing to ░░░░░░░░ our immigration system and ░░░░░░░░ no chance of becoming ░░░░░░░░ we should be talking ░░░░░░░░ how to create a ░░░░░░░░ immigration system that allows ░░░░░░░░ to reunite with their ░░░░░░░░ and allows American businesses ░░░░░░░░ universities to attract the ░░░░░░░░ and the brightest essentially ░░░░░░░░ a workable process so ░░░░░░░░ people wouldn t be ░░░░░░░░ to go to the ░░░░░░░░ as the only way ░░░░░░░░ come to the United ░░░░░░░░ We should be talking ░░░░░░░░ the fact that immigrants ░░░░░░░░ good for the country ░░░░░░░░ good for our economy ░░░░░░░░ in four American doctors ░░░░░░░░ born abroad and roughly ░░░░░░░░ of fortune 500 companies ░░░░░░░░ founded by immigrants or ░░░░░░░░ children of immigrants 70 ░░░░░░░░ 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 g ░░░░░░░░ p between 2023 and ░░░░░░░░ Similarly the department of ░░░░░░░░ and human services found ░░░░░░░░ over a 15 year ░░░░░░░░ refugees contribute nearly 124 ░░░░░░░░ more in revenue than ░░░░░░░░ received in services from ░░░░░░░░ government Documented and undocumented ░░░░░░░░ pay tends 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 ░░░░░░░░ the wait time for ░░░░░░░░ permanent residents to bring ░░░░░░░░ families into this country ░░░░░░░░ over a century long ░░░░░░░░ century for legal permanent ░░░░░░░░ to bring their family ░░░░░░░░ into the country Employers ░░░░░░░░ begging us to modernize ░░░░░░░░ employment base immigration system ░░░░░░░░ the elements on high ░░░░░░░░ visas were set when ░░░░░░░░ discs were the height ░░░░░░░░ technology and these companies ░░░░░░░░ hire the people they ░░░░░░░░ And the small number ░░░░░░░░ immigration judges that we ░░░░░░░░ are absolutely crushed under ░░░░░░░░ massive back log of ░░░░░░░░ cases so extensive that ░░░░░░░░ is now taking people ░░░░░░░░ eight years to get ░░░░░░░░ a hearing Why doesn ░░░░░░░░ majority just help us ░░░░░░░░ more money into immigration ░░░░░░░░ so we can resolve ░░░░░░░░ back log Why not ░░░░░░░░ legal pathways for people ░░░░░░░░ are trying to come ░░░░░░░░ legally I know this ░░░░░░░░ Chairman because I came ░░░░░░░░ and it took me ░░░░░░░░ years to navigate the ░░░░░░░░ system and become a ░░░░░░░░ S citizen but that ░░░░░░░░ several decades ago Now ░░░░░░░░ can t even get ░░░░░░░░ the process I hope ░░░░░░░░ one day we can ░░░░░░░░ back to actually governing ░░░░░░░░ passing real bills that ░░░░░░░░ make a difference in ░░░░░░░░ lives of the American ░░░░░░░░ But I fear Mr ░░░░░░░░ that today is not ░░░░░░░░ day.