Conyers: “Human Tragedy Along Southern Border Should Not Be a Partisan Issue”

Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, “An Administration Made Disaster: The South Texas Border Surge of Unaccompanied Alien Minors.” This hearing comes as a humanitarian crisis in parts of Central America is felt along the Southwest border of the United States - where thousands of children have arrived in recent weeks - largely as a result of violence occurring in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. As the hearing got underway, full committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the following statement:

U.SS. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“The title of this hearing gives me great concern, not just because it unfairly attacks the President, or that it presupposes a conclusion without any substantial evidence, but that it dangerously mischaracterizes the issue at hand.  At best, it evidences a desire to use the humanitarian crisis playing out along the border as an excuse to not act on comprehensive immigration reform. At worst, it demonstrates that some of my Republican colleagues are willing to exploit even a humanitarian crisis - involving children no less - to attack the Obama Administration. There is simply no place for this posturing and finger-pointing in the face of this human tragedy,” said Conyers.

 “I had hoped that the Judiciary Committee could have a balanced discussion about causes and solutions to the crisis we are seeing play out along the border. The dramatic flow of children across our Southwest border is the symptom of the real humanitarian crisis that is going on every day in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala where most of these children are from. Many of these children are fleeing record violence in their home countries and asking for protection abroad – not only in the United States, but also in places such as Mexico, Nicaragua, Beliza, Panama and Costa Rica.

“We must rise to meet the challenge this humanitarian crisis poses and demonstrate our continuing commitment to the protection of refugees as well as the rule of law. Now is the time to lay down our legislative armor, stop the political theatrics, and do something simply because it is the right thing to do.”

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