Durbin: We Must Come Together to Pass Bipartisan Legislation that Fixes Our Broken Immigration System and Secures Our Border

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, slammed Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) for his inhumane practice of bussing thousands of migrants from Texas to Chicago.  During his speech, Durbin cited various ways the Governor has created chaos around this crisis.  He also praised the City of Chicago, including the Mayor, for their compassion and willingness to help the migrants. 

“These migrants are arriving in the city [Chicago] without any consultation or warning and they’re being dumped in places near the city, totally unprepared to face the cruelty of the winter that we’re facing in Chicago,” said Durbin.  “I’m amazed at the number of people who have shown extraordinary care and [have] stepped forward to try to help… Recently, the City of Chicago tried to put some order into this disorderly process—identifying times and places where the busses could stop.  Unfortunately, there’s only been one example of cooperation by the State of Texas.  There are plenty of examples the other way.”

Durbin continued, “The City of Chicago gave the Texas Governor a safe, convenient, and accessible option to drop the migrants off at a warm shelter for orderly processing.  But only one bus from Texas has even attempted to register with the city.  The Texas Governor has chosen cruelty and chaos over orderly and humane processing.”

Although a bipartisan group of Senators are trying to reach agreement on immigration reform, House Republicans are refusing to work in good faith with Democrats to secure America’s border and address the nation’s shortage of workers.  Recently, House Republicans traveled to the border, where they stated that they will not accept any agreement unless it closely resembles H.R.2, an extreme partisan bill that would codify failed policies from the Trump Administration. 

During his speech, Durbin commented on the unprecedented number of people coming to the United States.  Today there are over 100 million displaced people worldwide, including over 30 million refugees.  It’s the largest refugee crisis in modern history. 

“I hope this bipartisan group finds a way to deal with it and to resolve it in a humane fashion, and I’m open to that suggestion.  In the meantime, I want to commend the people in my state, the Mayor and others, who are stepping up to do their very best to be humane in America in their response.  Many of us can trace our own immigrant roots back one generation or two.  I’m certainly one of those.  My mother was an immigrant to this country,” Durbin said.

As the lead author of the Dream Act and Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Durbin has been a champion for immigration reform for years.  Durbin, along with seven of his Republican and Democratic colleagues, authored a comprehensive immigration reform package that would have addressed many of the challenges our nation faces at the border today.  That legislation passed the Senate with bipartisan support in 2013, but did not receive a vote in the Republican-controlled House.

Durbin concluded, “Let’s find a thoughtful way to deal with this.  Stop the overwhelming situation on the border and have an orderly process.  That can be done, but it has to be done on a bipartisan basis. Some of the people involved in this process have said publicly they don't want to find a solution.  They think they have too good a political issue.  I hope that they’re wrong.  I hope that we can find a solution on a bipartisan basis that serves our nation and serves the world.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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