Rep. Sykes Denounces House Passage Of H.R. 2, The “Child Deportation Act”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) denounced House Passage of House Republicans’ H.R. 2, the “Child Deportation Act.”
“Our immigration system is broken, and it does not meet the needs of immigrants, Dreamers, asylum seekers, businesses, or our communities,” said Rep. Sykes. “My top priority as your Congresswoman is to keep communities in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District safe, and I strongly support productive efforts to create a secure and humane immigration system. I opposed H.R. 2 because it would greatly exacerbate an already dire situation at the border. Instead, I am committed to passing a bipartisan, comprehensive solution that ensures our borders are secure, keeps out dangerous drugs and weapons, keeps children and families together, and strengthens our economy while centering the humanity of immigrant communities.”
Ohio’s 13th District is home to 39,231 immigrants from across the globe.
Rep. Sykes and New Democratic Coalition members sent letters Thursday to House Leadership and the House Appropriations Committee calling for action on meaningful bipartisan immigration reform and funding to stop the flow of illicit fentanyl and secure the border.
House Republicans’ debt bill would weaken border security by cutting Customs and Border Protection’s budget by $4 billion, resulting in the loss of 2,400 border patrol agents. Meanwhile, House Democrats funded additional staffing for CBP’s ports of entry in the FY2023 Omnibus, as these have been historically understaffed.
Additionally, House Democrats have prioritized drug detection and funded more than $400 million in non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems at the southwest land border. Today, more than 350 large-scale NII systems are in use at land and sea ports to examine travelers, vehicles, cargo, and packages for narcotics.
H.R. 1136 now awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate.