Haitian Immigrant Community
Floor Speech
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Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, last week, I met with priests and leaders of the Haitian immigrant community in Puerto Rico. I heard their accounts of what has been happening since ICE began its raids. The stories were devastating and demoralizing.
Mr. Speaker, imagine living in Puerto Rico for 40 years, building a life, raising children, and contributing to our economy, and facing the fear of being unfairly deported to a country you barely know, one devastated by violence and disaster.
Mr. Speaker, imagine being a documented resident of Puerto Rico and being placed under arrest, simply because you looked or sounded like an undocumented immigrant.
Mr. Speaker, imagine needing medical care but being too afraid to leave your home and seek help out of fear of being detained and deported.
This is not justice, and as our former Governor, Luis Munoz Marin, once said: Injustice towards some is injustice towards all.
Beyond the ethical concerns, beyond the moral concerns, and beyond the emotional concerns that these injustices raise, there are practical consequences that I urge the administration to consider. The persecution of documented immigrants hurts our communities, our economy, and our businesses.
Businesses in Puerto Rico and across the United States are suffering because immigrants are too afraid to go to work, seek services, or even buy food. I have heard stories of construction workers who don't show up to work and of local restaurants that have suddenly changed their business model from dining-in to delivery. Barrio Obrero, a Dominican neighborhood in San Juan, is not what it used to be.
We are doing our best to protect immigrants and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect. That is why on January 27 I sent an oversight letter, along with the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Adriano Espaillat, to demand answers from DHS and ICE on wrongful tactics used by agents that have caused considerable distress within communities in Puerto Rico and across the country. To date, DHS and ICE have not adequately answered our questions.
On January 29, I personally called the Puerto Rico Association of Mayors and asked them to provide as much assistance as legally possible to protect our immigrant communities.
On February 6, I joined Congressman Espaillat in introducing H.R. 1061, which would prevent immigration enforcement at sensitive locations, such as churches and schools, so that migrants can safely visit.
Our message to the immigrant communities in Puerto Rico and the United States is simple: You are not alone, and we will keep fighting for you.
Now for the interests of my constituents, I will repeat my remarks in Spanish.
(Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
Senor Presidente, La semana pasada me reuni con sacerdotes y lideres de la comunidad inmigrante haitiana en Puerto Rico. Escuche sus relatos sobre lo que ha estado ocurriendo desde que ICE comenzo sus redadas. Las historias eran devastadoras y desmoralizantes.
Imagine vivir en Puerto Rico por 40 anos--construir una vida, criar hijos, contribuir a nuestra economia--y enfrentarse al temor de ser deportado injustamente a un pais que apenas conoces, un pais devastado por la violencia y los desastres.
Imagina ser un residente documentado de Puerto Rico y ser arrestado-- simplemente porque ``parecias'' o ``sonabas'' como un inmigrante indocumentado.
Imagina necesitar atencion medica, pero tener demasiado miedo de salir de tu hogar y buscarla por temor a ser detenido y deportado.
Esto no es justicia, y como dijo una vez nuestro exgobernador Luis Munoz Marin, ``en la larga historia de los pueblos, lo que es injusto para algunos, es injusto para todos''.
Mas alla de las preocupaciones eticas, morales y emocionales que generan estas injusticias, hay consecuencias practicas que insto a la administracion a considerar. La persecucion de inmigrantes documentados perjudica nuestra economia, nuestros negocios y nuestras comunidades.
Los negocios en Puerto Rico y en Estados Unidos estan sufriendo. Hemos oido historias de trabajadores de la industria de construccion que no llegan a su lugar de trabajo. Hemos oido historias de restaurantes que han tenido que cambiar su modelo de negocio de cenar en el restaurante a hacer entrega.
Los negocios en Puerto Rico, en lugares como Barrio Obrero, se han visto profundamente afectados, y las comunidades no son lo que eran antes.
Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para proteger a los inmigrantes y garantizar que sean tratados con dignidad, con respeto y como seres humanos.
Por eso, el 27 de enero, lidere una carta junto con el presidente del Caucus Hispano del Congreso, Adriano Espaillat, exigiendo respuestas de DHS y de ICE sobre las tacticas erroneas utilizadas por los agentes en estas redadas. Hasta la fecha, no hemos recibido respuestas satisfactorias.
El 29 de enero, llame personalmente a la Asociacion de Alcaldes y les pedi que brindaran toda la asistencia posible, dentro de la legalidad, a nuestras comunidades inmigrantes. Y el 6 de febrero, me uni al congresista Espaillat para presenter el Proyecto de ley con el fin de proteger los lugares sensibles de redadas.
Nuestro mensaje para las comunidades inmigrantes en Puerto Rico y en Estados Unidos es simple: no estan solos y seguiremos luchando por ustedes.
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