Castro Remarks on the President’s Zero-Humanity Immigration Policy, Family Separation

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, made the following remarks on the House Floor against the Trump Administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families at the border:

“Thank you, Congressman Garamendi. Thank you for your passion and your profound words on this very difficult subject, not only for members of the United States Congress but also for many Americans across the country.

“I had the opportunity yesterday, along with several other members of Congress including Bennie Thompson—the Ranking Democratic member on the Homeland Security Committee—Sheila Jackson Lee, Frederica Wilson, Ben Ray Luján, and Filemon Vela to visit two sites where these young kids are being kept in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

“One of them Casa Padre and the other one Casa Presidente. And when we were there, myself and a few other members of Congress met two young children who were being held without their parents. They were separated from their parents.

“One of them was named Roger, an 8 year old boy—I’m sorry, an 8 month old boy. Eight months old.

“The administrators told us that his mother is actually deceased and they believe that he came to the country with his sister, though she is nowhere to be found.

“The other was a young girl named Leah. She was 1 year old, and she was separated from her parents.

“These are among the youngest victims of this brutal policy of President Trump in separating young children from their parents.

“Most Americans believe that we can enforce our immigration laws and still respect human dignity and human rights.

“But in going down the road that this president has taken us, he’s taking us down a road where we’re losing our own humanity. He’s taking us down a road that is reminiscent of the worst episodes of moral failures in the country’s history. The things that as Americans we deeply regret.

“I also, because, we’ve been asked by many Americans over the last few weeks in particular a common question as members of Congress: ‘What are you doing to stop this?’

“And I want to say thank you to my colleagues that were with me yesterday.

“Thank you also to Nancy Pelosi and the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who visited San Diego. To Beto O’Rourke and Joe Kennedy, who were in Tornillo near the tent city, tent cities, near El Paso. To Frank Pallone and Hakeem Jeffries and Jerry Nadler that were out in the New York/New Jersey area. To Debbie Wasserman Schultz and others who were in Florida.

“We’re pushing legislation, we’re out on the streets. We’re organizing rallies. We’re doing every single thing that we can to change this. To end it.

“And thank you to the folks in the Senate who also made a trip to McAllen and to Senator Merkley, without whose help and support a few weeks ago in Brownsville, this issue would not nearly have gotten the same amount of attention.

“You know, this year marks 50 years since we lost two titans in American history: Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. And Robert F. Kennedy said 52 years ago in a famous speech that he gave in South Africa on their Day of Affirmation.

“Senator Kennedy said back then—Robert F. Kennedy said back then: ‘Moral courage is a rare commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence, yet it is the one essential vital quality for those who seek to change the world that yields most painfully to change.’

“What we’re asking is for this Congress to have the moral courage to listen to the American people and do right by these immigrants. I yield back.”