Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Wednesday that immigrants are needed in America because they, among other things, “pick the food we eat,” “clean our homes,” and “rebuild our communities after climate disasters.”
Jayapal’s comments — which some GOP colleagues and others criticized as stereotyping immigrants — came during a House Judiciary Committee markup of legislation pertaining to the immigration crisis, known as the Border Security and Enforcement Act of 2023.
“Trump’s policies, combined with his anti-immigrant rhetoric, made us less safe, less competitive in attracting the best and the brightest, and undermined our most basic human values of compassion and kindness,” Jayapal said as she argued for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants residing in America.
While numbers in 2023 have so far been approximately the same or lower than 2022, it is unclear if that will change once the Title 42 public health order ends on May 11. The order, implemented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been used by both the Trump and Biden administrations to quickly expel hundreds of thousands of migrants at the border and has become a key tool in the ongoing migrant crisis, which is now into its third year. In March, 87,662 (46%) of encounters ended in a Title 42 expulsion.
Jayapal’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Kyle Morris covers politics for Fox News. Story tips can be sent via email and on X: @RealKyleMorris.
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