Mark Takano
Representative for California · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment's language opens the door to invasive, degrading, and humiliating physical examinations of children, children who simply want to play softball or join a basketball team. That is creepy.”
“He soon became campus supervisor, followed by assistant principal in charge of discipline, and finished his career as an assistant administrator covering discipline and campus security. Since retiring in 2003, Dell has continued his philanthropic efforts through the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, alongside his loving wife.”
“He soon became campus supervisor, followed by assistant principal in charge of discipline, and finished his career as an assistant administrator covering discipline and campus security. Since retiring in 2003, Dell has continued his philanthropic efforts through the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, alongside his loving wife.”
“Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. Once again, my Republican colleagues are moving forward with a sweeping ban on necessary healthcare, including mental health care for children. This isn't about cost. This isn't about force readiness. In fact, this amendment will harm our military's force readiness.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E716] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING ADRIAN ``DELL'' ROBERTS ______ HON.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E716] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING ADRIAN ``DELL'' ROBERTS ______ HON.”
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“What is in short supply, at least on the other side of the aisle, is the political will to use some of it on behalf of America's veterans. There is $1.5 trillion for the Department of Defense, $70 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, and hundreds of millions of dollars for permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, none of it offset, and all of which the chairman voted for enthusiastically. Just 10 days of President Trump's folly in Iran would pay for 10 years of benefits under the Major Richard Star Act. Let me say that again. Just 10 days of President Trump's folly in Iran would pay for 10 years of benefits under the Major Richard Star Act. The question we have before us today is this: Why do you insist on offsets now? Why only now when we are trying to do work on behalf of our Nation's veterans do you care about the deficit?”
“There are parts of this bill with broad bipartisan support: long overdue increases to dependency and indemnity compensation and a special monthly compensation, for example. We do not exist in isolation here, and we must take the bill as the total sum of its parts, especially since the majority has blocked amendments to this bill, as they have done so often in this Congress. {time} 0930 Regrettably, we will also hear the chairman say that cutting veterans' benefits is the only way that we can get them done. This is patently false, and the chairman knows it. Everyone in this Chamber knows it, and everyone in America knows it, as well. There are any number of other places we can find money for these priorities. We don't lack money around here.”
“This bill also contains numerous sections opposed by key stakeholders, like Student Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success, and the American Federation of Teachers, that would direct GI Bill funding toward low-quality, for-profit, unaccredited online programs. This bill contains provisions that would allow GI benefits to be used for online welding courses. Can you believe it? Explain to me how you can teach someone online how to weld. Inexplicably, H.R. 9237 even includes a $500 million IT slush fund that VA will use to enrich contractors and reward the President's cronies. The list goes on and on. We are going to hear arguments from the majority today about all the good things this bill attempts to do. If we exist in a vacuum, I would say that I agree.”
“They all recognize the devastating effect this legislation will have on VA's workforce and their ability to deliver high-quality care. Even the Mortgage Bankers Association has expressed opposition to this bill. The majority has decided that, during a housing affordability crisis, it makes sense to raise costs on struggling veteran homeowners who are desperately trying to avoid foreclosure. This package contains multiple harmful provisions. It would accelerate the privatization of veteran healthcare--creating new grant programs for private providers that divert resources from VA mental health and PTSD programs--and steer veterans into more expensive community-based care, even where VA services remain available, and strip VA psychologists of their collective bargaining rights.”
“Over 30 Veteran Service Organizations and advocates oppose this legislation, including many of the largest, like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and numerous others. They know that reaching into the pockets of one set of veterans to provide for another is morally wrong. Creating tiers of veterans based on their period of service and treating tomorrow's veterans worse than today's is morally wrong. They will not stand for it, and neither should we. In addition to the numerous VSOs and over two dozen labor unions opposed to this bill, including the Union of Veterans Council, American Federation of Government Employees, and AFL-CIO, so do professional associations like the American Psychological Association and the Nurses Organization of VA.”
“Yet, they insist on paying for veterans' priorities by cutting benefits with the two most common service-connected conditions. Apparently, there is no problem sending veterans the bill for the wars that Congress funds. This is a massive 600-page bill--crafted behind closed doors and brought to the floor without careful consideration--packed with harmful provisions designed to boost a few vulnerable Members' electoral prospects. Mr. Speaker, for those reasons and many, many more, I cannot in good conscience support this legislation. More important than my opposition is the opposition of the very people whom the majority claims to help, the veterans themselves.”
“That is rationing suffering among our Nation's heroes. With this bill, the majority would, for the first time ever, have Congress interfere in the scientific process that the determines veterans' disability ratings, overriding the expertise of medical professionals at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I respect that Chairman Bost is a military veteran, but he is not a medical professional. The majority, for the first time ever, would have us cut tens of billions of dollars from veteran disability compensation to pay for the Department of Defense obligations. This is absolutely unconscionable. Consider the math. Republicans are discussing nearly $70 billion in new Pentagon spending without offsets. They vote enthusiastically for $1.5 trillion in annual defense budgets.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 9237. It is a beautiful day here in Washington, D.C., but Republicans are casting a dark cloud over all of us and especially over America's veterans. We have before us today a bill that, despite its name, does the exact opposite of taking care of veterans. It enshrines into law the largest cut to veterans' benefits ever in the history of this Nation. The premise of this bill is that some veterans must be made worse off in order to make others better off. Mr. Speaker, I reject that premise, I reject this bill, and I encourage others to do the same. Here is the core issue: The majority treats veterans as a zero-sum game: cut disability pay for some to find benefits for others. That is not governing.”
“He was also an established, lifelong member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., committing his time to various roles within their Riverside Alumni Chapter. Above all his many achievements, Alvin Stephens was a devoted husband to Mrs. Ola Faye Stephens, his wife of 66 years, and a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His enduring legacy of compassion, integrity, and service to our community will continue to inspire generations to come. ____________________”
“Stephens earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Texas Southern University in 1959. Soon after, he relocated his family to Riverside, California to establish his career--becoming the city's first African American retail pharmacist when he opened Perris Valley Medical Pharmacy in 1964. His professional leadership included service as President of the Riverside County Pharmaceutical Association, Western Zone Director of the National Pharmaceutical Association, and an active member of the Central Los Angeles Pharmaceutical Association. Beyond his accomplishments in pharmacy, Mr. Stephens dedicated himself to mentoring young people through Career Day programs hosted by local school districts, encouraging countless students to pursue higher education and careers in healthcare.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E685] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALVIN STEPHENS ______ HON. MARK TAKANO of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Alvin Stephens, a distinguished Army veteran, pioneering pharmacist, entrepreneur, mentor, and devoted family man whose remarkable 59-year career exemplified public service, leadership, and excellence. Following his honorable service in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict, Mr.”
“He was also an established, lifelong member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., committing his time to various roles within their Riverside Alumni Chapter. Above all his many achievements, Alvin Stephens was a devoted husband to Mrs. Ola Faye Stephens, his wife of 66 years, and a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His enduring legacy of compassion, integrity, and service to our community will continue to inspire generations to come. ____________________”
“Stephens earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Texas Southern University in 1959. Soon after, he relocated his family to Riverside, California to establish his career--becoming the city's first African American retail pharmacist when he opened Perris Valley Medical Pharmacy in 1964. His professional leadership included service as President of the Riverside County Pharmaceutical Association, Western Zone Director of the National Pharmaceutical Association, and an active member of the Central Los Angeles Pharmaceutical Association. Beyond his accomplishments in pharmacy, Mr. Stephens dedicated himself to mentoring young people through Career Day programs hosted by local school districts, encouraging countless students to pursue higher education and careers in healthcare.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E685] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALVIN STEPHENS ______ HON. MARK TAKANO of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Alvin Stephens, a distinguished Army veteran, pioneering pharmacist, entrepreneur, mentor, and devoted family man whose remarkable 59-year career exemplified public service, leadership, and excellence. Following his honorable service in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict, Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)] [House] [Page H1772] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADJOURNMENT Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 45 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 9 a.m. ____________________”
“They are evidence of a pattern, a government operating outside the law, outside the Constitution, outside the decision of a Supreme Court that has ruled 9-0 that this administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a government that believes that it can disappear people without charges, ignore the judiciary, and turn the Constitution into a suggestion rather than a safeguard. Mr. Speaker, this body must exert its collective conscience. This is not who we are, and it must not be who we become. The American people are beginning to wake up. They are hungry for accountability from our government and courage from Congress. I promise this. This is not the end of our voices. It is only the beginning. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore.”
“They have never been able to defend themselves against charges that they are Tren de Aragua criminals or otherwise dangerous criminals. This is a travesty. I think all Americans should be outraged. All Americans should be afraid for themselves. We have now seen, in just recent days, that we have moved from noncitizens to citizens being sent out of this country. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that, over the last hour, the American public has heard directly as Members of Congress came to this hallowed floor to talk plainly about the grave constitutional crisis unfolding in our country. We have heard the names Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Andry Hernandez Romero. We have spoken of students taken off streets, court orders cast aside, and a supermax prison that now holds victims of abuse. These are not isolated incidents.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Garcia for traveling to El Salvador on his own resources and to our colleagues who spent their own resources [[Page H1772]] because this House of Representatives will not do oversight over the overreach of this administration, will not do oversight over the dereliction of constitutional responsibility of this administration, an administration that was defying a 9-0 Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. There is another compelling case we have before us. The 280 other individuals who are in CECOT prison, the government has kept those names secret. The press and others have had to do a lot of sleuthing to identify individuals who have been sent down there. For all we know, there could be citizens among those folks. We don't know because they have never been able to talk to a judge.”
“My understanding not only was that he was seeking asylum from Venezuela because of his sexual orientation but also because he would not comply with the authoritarian regime there. Is that your understanding, as well?”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia) for the purpose of a colloquy. Representative Garcia, I had not heard the story about your request to the Ambassador to do a welfare check. This is one picture of Andry Hernandez. I have seen other pictures of him, other photographs. It is hard for, I think, anyone who looks at these photographs to believe that Andry is a dangerous member of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. Here is the other fact that was just mentioned. He has never once been at large in the U.S. territory, any part of the U.S. Government, or the Continental United States. From the very beginning, when he crossed the border, he was in custody. He has never been out of custody. He has never once posed any danger. He arrived with papers that show, from his native Venezuela, that he has no criminal record.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Chu for bringing to light the story of an individual who has contributed much to his community. I am very disappointed, alarmed, and, frankly, terrified by the actions of this administration. Mr. Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia), also a fellow Californian, a longtime friend of mine, and somebody who I admire for his courage and initiative in leading a recent delegation of four Members of Congress to the country of El Salvador.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tokuda for her comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), my fellow colleague from southern California and good friend.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for standing up for the rule of law. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues that, in this country, under our Constitution, no one is above the law, not even the President. Our President, at this very moment, is defying a 9-0 Supreme Court decision. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda), my colleague from the Aloha State.”
“How can you say to a judge that you are a citizen or not a criminal when you are not even allowed to have that hearing? Mr. Speaker, I will now move on and yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle).”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Watson Coleman for informing the Nation about what happened earlier today with that family in Oklahoma. It strikes me that we are witnessing this evolution of this administration's policies that began with: We are just going to deport criminals. It then evolved into disappearing people without hearings and claiming that the people they were disappearing were criminals, dangerous criminals, members of the Tren de Aragua gang. They admitted that there were mistakes made, but now we are seeing actual children who are citizens being spirited out of the country. This ought to be concerning to all Americans. It is not about them anymore. It is about us. It is about every single person who is in danger of being treated in such a way that you have no way to say to a judge: I am a citizen.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tonko for his comments. I agree with the gentleman. This is a red line that cannot be crossed. We cannot permit a President to defy a 9-0 order of the Supreme Court. No person and no man is above the law. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), my tremendous colleague.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Rivas for her comments and bringing to light the tragic stories of children who are citizens with cancer being deported from our country. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).”
“Mr. Speaker, the sign behind me says ``9-0.'' ``9-0'' is the order of the Supreme Court. They ruled 9-0 that Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be brought back or must be facilitated back into the country. This 9-0 Supreme Court order is being defied by the President. No one in our country, no person, no man, is above the law. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall). {time} 1915”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ansari. I want to thank her for traveling with three other of our colleagues to El Salvador last week. I know that she traveled at her own expense. I am very proud that we have members of this caucus who care so deeply about people who have been treated so unjustly. Nobody should be disappeared out of our country without habeas corpus hearings. I also thank Representative Carter for his efforts, along with, I believe, other Members of Congress to visit the graduate students held in a New Orleans jail. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar).”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for his principled remarks about the importance of the rule of law in our country and his enunciating that political dissent in our country is not a crime. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari).”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ramirez for standing up for the rule of law. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter.)”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Escobar for her comments. I am outraged to hear that Republicans on the Judiciary Committee would not protect citizens from deportation. We are talking about citizens. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez). {time} 1900”
“I call on President Trump to free Andry. There are so many others to talk about: students who have been snatched off the streets, young American citizens kicked out without so much as a hearing, and the list goes on and on. I want to be clear that this is not just about immigrants. This is bigger than that. If the government can violate the Constitution with impunity in these cases, then it can do so anywhere to anyone. To the Americans listening at home, I ask you: How would you feel if masked men grabbed you in broad daylight and refused to show their ID? I know I would be terrified, and I bet you would be, too. Today, we will hear from a number of my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues as we bring a spotlight to these injustices. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar).”
“I want to take the opportunity to draw attention to another case that has captured the public conscience, that of Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a 31-year-old gay Venezuelan makeup artist and asylum seeker who was forcibly disappeared without due process. Andry entered the United States legally, fleeing persecution for his sexual orientation and political beliefs. He passed an initial asylum screening and had no criminal record. Yet, without warning or due process, he was forcibly removed to El Salvador and imprisoned in the notorious CECOT facility. What is the evidence against him? A couple of crown tattoos above the names ``Mom'' and ``Dad,'' symbols of his love for his hometown's Three Kings Day celebrations. Andry's case exemplifies the dangers of unchecked executive power and what happens when the rule of law is pushed aside.”
“The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the administration must facilitate the return of one such man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father, but the executive branch has ignored the highest Court in the land, saying that their own views matter more. Just last night, the President of the United States admitted in a public interview that he could return Mr. Abrego Garcia if he wanted to, but he is choosing not to. He has openly mused about sending American citizens to El Salvador next because it always starts with those without power, the most vulnerable, but it never ends there, and that should terrify every American.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House for a Special Order hour with my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues. I do so on the 100th day of the Trump administration, and I note that this is a day when we received the news that our economy has contracted and that we are witnessing confusion, chaos in our markets, and uncertainty about our economic future. We can also mark this day by stating that our country is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The administration is disappearing individuals without due process in defiance of court orders. They are ripping people from their homes and communities, putting them on secretive flights, and sending them overseas, including more than 280 individuals sent to the brutal CECOT prison in El Salvador without so much as a hearing.”
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California? There was no objection.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)] [House] [Page H1772] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADJOURNMENT Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 45 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 9 a.m. ____________________”
“They are evidence of a pattern, a government operating outside the law, outside the Constitution, outside the decision of a Supreme Court that has ruled 9-0 that this administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a government that believes that it can disappear people without charges, ignore the judiciary, and turn the Constitution into a suggestion rather than a safeguard. Mr. Speaker, this body must exert its collective conscience. This is not who we are, and it must not be who we become. The American people are beginning to wake up. They are hungry for accountability from our government and courage from Congress. I promise this. This is not the end of our voices. It is only the beginning. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore.”
“That is right. Mr. TAKANO. They have never been able to defend themselves against charges that they are Tren de Aragua criminals or otherwise dangerous criminals. This is a travesty. I think all Americans should be outraged. All Americans should be afraid for themselves. We have now seen, in just recent days, that we have moved from noncitizens to citizens being sent out of this country. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that, over the last hour, the American public has heard directly as Members of Congress came to this hallowed floor to talk plainly about the grave constitutional crisis unfolding in our country. We have heard the names Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Andry Hernandez Romero. We have spoken of students taken off streets, court orders cast aside, and a supermax prison that now holds victims of abuse. These are not isolated incidents.”
“Garcia for traveling to El Salvador on his own resources and to our colleagues who spent their own resources [[Page H1772]] because this House of Representatives will not do oversight over the overreach of this administration, will not do oversight over the dereliction of constitutional responsibility of this administration, an administration that was defying a 9-0 Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. There is another compelling case we have before us. The 280 other individuals who are in CECOT prison, the government has kept those names secret. The press and others have had to do a lot of sleuthing to identify individuals who have been sent down there. For all we know, there could be citizens among those folks. We don't know because they have never been able to talk to a judge. Mr. GARCIA of California.”
“He has never once been at large in the U.S. territory, any part of the U.S. Government, or the Continental United States. From the very beginning, when he crossed the border, he was in custody. He has never been out of custody. He has never once posed any danger. He arrived with papers that show, from his native Venezuela, that he has no criminal record. My understanding not only was that he was seeking asylum from Venezuela because of his sexual orientation but also because he would not comply with the authoritarian regime there. Is that your understanding, as well? Mr. GARCIA of California. Absolutely. I think that it is a shame that someone fleeing persecution for who they are and then given an appointment by us, the United States, is then sent to a foreign prison. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr.”
“We demand to know if he is healthy, if he is okay, and where he is, and that he be given the right to come back to the United States so that he can go through the process that we asked him to go through before we kidnapped him and sent him to a prison in El Salvador. We must do better in this country. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia) for the purpose of a colloquy. Representative Garcia, I had not heard the story about your request to the Ambassador to do a welfare check. This is one picture of Andry Hernandez. I have seen other pictures of him, other photographs. It is hard for, I think, anyone who looks at these photographs to believe that Andry is a dangerous member of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. Here is the other fact that was just mentioned.”
“Because an ICE agent, who was, by the way, a disgraced former police officer, made these claims, Andry is now in a foreign prison, and his family and his lawyers have not heard anything about him in weeks. I did go to El Salvador to advocate for the release of not just Kilmar, who has been mandated by the Supreme Court to come back, but also for Andry. We told Andry's story to the Ambassador in El Salvador. It was the first time he had heard his story. After the meeting, he made a request to the government in El Salvador to do a welfare check for the first time on Andry. We have yet to hear anything about how he is doing, his condition, if he is alive, or where he is. This is a disgrace by President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Noem, and everyone involved in this process.”
“His initial screening is positive, and then he essentially gets taken at the border from that screening directly to a prison in El Salvador, a country he knows nothing about, in a process that eliminated his right through the court and due process asylum system that we have created in this country. What kind of America is this where we are doing this to people who are seeking asylum? We are sending them to a foreign prison. I note that Andry's family describes him as someone who is sweet, kind, and gentle, yet we are sending him to a notorious prison in a very vulnerable position. I also want to note that an agent said that he has some tattoos. Yes, he has a crown tattoo reflective of a festival back in his home city and state in Venezuela. It has nothing to do with gangs. He has never been convicted of anything to do with gangs.”
“citizens but for people who are here whether it is a legal status or because they have been invited to this country to apply for asylum. I want to go ahead and speak a little bit more about Andry Romero, this young gentleman right here. He is a gay hairstylist and makeup artist who came to the United States with an asylum appointment. The United States Government gave Andry an appointment to show up to the border so that he could claim asylum using our process that we created. He shows up with his appointment. What happens? He gets interrogated through the process.”
“Speaker, I thank Representative Chu for bringing to light the story of an individual who has contributed much to his community. I am very disappointed, alarmed, and, frankly, terrified by the actions of this administration. Mr. Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia), also a fellow Californian, a longtime friend of mine, and somebody who I admire for his courage and initiative in leading a recent delegation of four Members of Congress to the country of El Salvador. Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano for giving me this opportunity to speak about a topic that is really important right now in our country. Mr. Speaker, there is no issue right now that should concern Americans more than the elimination and destruction of due process, not just now for U.S.”
“Trump is now detaining and deporting Southeast Asian refugees who have had pauses on their deportation orders for decades and are deeply tied to their communities. Mr. Speaker, 15,000 of these refugees have deportation orders and are now being deported as they do the right thing and report for their ICE check-ins. We will not stand for it. I will soon be reintroducing the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act, which would prevent the administration from deporting these refugees to countries where they have often never lived and ensure that those who have already been deported can return home to the U.S. If the Trump administration can disappear immigrants to other countries without due process or deport refugees to places they have no memories of, we are all in danger. Mr. TAKANO. Mr.”
“Days ago, we learned they deported a 4-year-old child with stage IV cancer and a 2-year-old American citizen. We know that they are now going after Southeast Asian refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. They came here due to the U.S. depending on them as allies during the Vietnam war. This was the case with Chanthon Bun, who fled to the U.S. with his family to escape the Cambodian genocide. Like many refugees, Bun found himself in an impoverished community and struggled to acclimate. He later fell in with the wrong crowd and made a mistake as a teenager. Bun has since served his time, and once granted parole, he has become a leader in his community. In Trump's eyes, Bun's rehabilitation doesn't matter.”
“Sending people to foreign prisons without a trial, without rights, and without hope is not only unconstitutional. It is un-American, and it must stop. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to honor the oath we all took in this very Chamber to uphold the Constitution, protect due process, and defend the values that define our Nation. Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tokuda for her comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), my fellow colleague from southern California and good friend. Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, this administration has thrown out the Constitution and asserted that the President has king-like power to arrest anybody in this country and deport them, even to a foreign prison for life, with no due process.”