Opening Statement

Statement of Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.
Hearing on: "An Administration Made Disaster: The South Texas Border Surge of Unaccompanied Alien Minors"
Committee on the Judiciary

Wednesday, June 25 2014 at 2:00 pm
2141 Rayburn

     I would like to welcome our witnesses to this important hearing today and thank them in advance for their participation.  I had hoped that we could have a balanced discussion about the root causes of the humanitarian crisis we are seeing play out along the southwest border and also begin to identify solutions to this pressing issue. Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that some of my colleagues in the majority have already made their conclusions before hearing the facts.

     The title of this hearing seems to say it all:  "An Administration Made Disaster: The South Texas Border Surge of Unaccompanied Alien Minors." My concern is not just that this title unfairly attacks the president, or that it presupposes a conclusion without any substantial evidence, but that it also dangerously mis-characterizes the issue at hand.

     First, the increase in unaccompanied children apprehended along our southwest border in recent years is evidence of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in our region. The facts simply do not support the claim that this administration's actions somehow led to the current situation. 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.

     In each of these countries, the level of violence is sky high and the ability of the government to protect its most vulnerable citizens is terribly low. Honduras has had the highest murder rate in the world for the last four years. El Salvador and Guatemala are close behind at 4th and 5th.  Our State Department even warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Honduras and El Salvador because the level of crime and violence is "critically high." As a result, many people are fleeing to ask for protection abroad.  It is important to note that they are not just heading to the United States. Since 2008, Mexico, Nicaragua, Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica have seen a 712% increase in asylum claims from those three countries.

     Second, the number of children we are seeing is sure to test our resolve with respect to the rule of law and our obligation to protect people fleeing persecution and that is a test we must not fail. I can't help but think of how we responded when tens of thousands of Haitians took to the seas in small boats and dangerous conditions after the coup that ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Coast Guard vessels interdicted many of these boats and returned people to face persecution without a fair asylum hearing.

     Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past.  Although the current situation poses a great challenge to our Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Justice, we must rise to meet the challenge and demonstrate our continuing commitment to the rule of law and the protection of refugees.

     And finally, let us also not forget the urgent need to fix our broken immigration system. It has now been a year since the Senate passed bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that would bring much-needed relief to American families, businesses, and communities. In the twelve months since the Senate passed its bill, a House version, H.R. 15, has gained the support of 200 co-sponsors. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that these bills would jumpstart our economy and decrease the budget deficit by $900 billion over 20 years. And public sentiment remains decidedly in favor of comprehensive reform. But here we are at the end of June-at the end of another work period-and we have done nothing to achieve needed reforms.

     So what are we waiting for? I am ready to take a vote now. And if that happened, I am willing to bet that a majority of members in the House would vote right along with me. But House Leadership still blames their inaction on the president – saying he can't be trusted. The need to fix our broken immigration system, thousands of children flooding across our border, humanitarian crises right in our backyard – these are difficult issues that cannot be explained, let alone solved, by simply pointing fingers and recycling political sound bites.

     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. Of course, if the House fails to act I fully support the president doing what he can under current law to improve our broken system. Either way, America is waiting.