Statement from Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García On Vote Against Increasing Funding for ICE and CBP
Washington, DC- Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García released the following statement after voting against the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019:
"I acknowledge and appreciate the hard-fought compromise that Democratic conferees sought to achieve while crafting this legislation. Never again should the financial security of more than 800,000 federal employees be put at risk for political gamesmanship.
"This bill contains several positive measures including provisions for affordable housing vouchers, funds for Central American aid, and funds for additional immigration judges to reduce the backlog of case adjudications. Additional funds were included for the first time in history to introduce humanitarian relief requirements within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) practices.
"However, I cannot support giving additional funds to build the President's border barrier or wall, nor vote to increase enforcement activities by increasing the total base-level funding for detention center beds.
"Furthermore, the bill does not include appropriate limits on Trump's deportation and detention forces, or the necessary restrictions on the President's ability to transfer money from non-enforcement DHS accounts to fund more ICE raids, increase capacity at detention centers, or build more sections of the border wall.
"Underscoring my concerns is the threat of the President to declare a national emergency at the border as a pretext to use military funds to build a wall, circumventing his Constitutional authority.
"We live at a time of unprecedented economic interdependence and cultural integration between Mexico and the United States, yet Trump continues to vilify our neighbors and erect a divisive, ineffective barrier to divide us. As a Mexican-American, I cannot support a bill that is offensive to the core values of who we are -- a nation of immigrants.
"Tonight's vote shows that we must shift our focus and double-down on the need to enact truly comprehensive immigration reform that offers permanent protections and pathways to citizenship for our DREAMers, their parents, and those with protected statuses."