Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House Ways and Means Committee, called Americans who want illegal aliens returned to their countries “nativists” and “isolationists.”
On Monday, appearing on MSNBC News’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, she said that “As the United States, as a world leader, we are very good about telling other countries that they must accept refugees from Syria or Ethiopia or Darfur, but when it comes to a humanitarian crisis on our own border — involving children, no less — you hear these nativist, isolationist voices saying that, oh, just ship them all back, send them all back.”
Sanchez said the illegal immigrants need to be addressed on a case by case basis, and all are entitled to “due process.” She added that Congress has to act and approve President Obama’s request for funding to help solve the current crisis. “Choking the funding to allow that process to go forward isn’t going to expedite the removal of anybody,” she said. “We need to fund the president’s request to try to help process these children, find out who does qualify for refugee status or asylum and try to connect these children with their parents.”
Many critics of the funding (reports range from $2-4 billion) say that it will be used to administer food, housing, and medical care to the thousands who have crossed the border but will do nothing to prevent the onslaught from continuing, nor will much of the funding be spent transporting them back to their country.
Sanchez contends the only way the flow of aliens can be stopped entirely is by “helping the countries stabilize and by fighting the violence that is sweeping through those countries.” However, according to a Breitbart Texas report, that view may be false. According to a survey referenced by Breitbart Texas’s Managing Director Brandon Darby, of 230 illegal migrants interviewed by the El Paso Intelligence Center, a staggering 219 gave their primary reason for migrating to the United States as the perception of U.S. immigration laws granting free passes or “permisos” to unaccompanied adults and adult female OTM (other than Mexicans) traveling with minors.
Sanchez further states that a great portion of the illegal children are coming here to reunite with their parents. She said, “If we are able to pass comprehensive immigration reform, something that a majority of Americans regardless of political party believe in, many of the children could qualify to be reunited with their parents.” The congresswoman added, “Then their parents could come out of the shadows and get on a pathway to citizenship.”
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