REP. SYLVIA GARCIA REMARKS IN SUPPORT OF THE NO BAN ACT

Washington, DC - Today, in the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) delivered the following remarks during the markup of H.R. 2214, the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act:

"Mr. Chairman I move to strike the last word.

In 2017, when the administration implemented the first travel ban, nearly 1,000 college students around Texas were forced to make a choice. Either stay in the United States to earn a world-class education or visit their family and risk being blocked from returning for their studies. This is a choice that aspiring students should never be forced to make.

Now in 2020, 35,000 Nigerians in metropolitan Houston will be affected by another travel ban that targets more Muslim-majority countries. These new bans will continue to separate families across many of our districts.

These travel bans are not in place because of national security. That's a farce. The bans are a tool to discriminate against the Muslim population.

Texas is home to the largest and fastest growing Muslim population in the country, and our affected constituents are against this policy. The travel ban keeps American citizens from being reunited with their loved ones.

Last time this committee had a hearing on the issue, I shared a heartbreaking story about my constituent whose fiancé was prohibited from joining her again in Houston. We must end policies that lead to heartbreaking stories. As a Catholic, I support this bill. It promotes religious freedom and prevents the President from picking and choosing which religions he prefers for our country.

The bill draws on a simple topic we all learned in grade school: checks and balances.

H.R 2214 does not inhibit the President from maintaining national security, it only requires that he has a credible reason for such future policies. I do believe national security is of the utmost importance, but we can maintain security without discriminating against entire communities. The Muslim ban was arbitrarily implemented before President Trump could even finish moving into the White House, during his very first week after inauguration.

These hasty and overly broad bans promote xenophobia and fulfill a hateful campaign promise. If the President does this, we must all remember that we are all Muslim.

H.R. 2214 is vital to preventing future abuses and I urge my colleagues to support it. Thank you. I yield the remainder of my time."

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent Texas 29th Congressional district.