"Congress should focus on strengthening safeguards for children rather than weakening protections."
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 23, 2014) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today on the current Central American refugee crisis.
As a leading voice in addressing the crisis along the southern border and a staunch advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, Senator Heinrich countered Republican proposals that aim to weaken protections for refugee children and undocumented students known as DREAMers.
Senator Heinrich expressed his support for the Senate's Emergency Supplemental Funding Bill, a proposal introduced today by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) that includes $2.73 billion to help stem the current Central America refugee crisis.