IMMIGRANTS DESERVE BETTER

On 2026-05-20, Representative Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11) delivered a floor speech titled "IMMIGRANTS DESERVE BETTER" in the House.

IMMIGRANTS DESERVE BETTER

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 86 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)] [House] [Page H3666] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] IMMIGRANTS DESERVE BETTER (Ms. MEJIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. MEJIA. Mr. Speaker, a year ago, I was an advocate standing outside Delaney Hall, a detention center in Newark, New Jersey, demanding our government treat immigrants with justice and human decency. I watched in horror as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was dragged across a gate only to be arrested. I was appalled to see three of my now congressional colleagues manhandled with impunity. This week, when I returned to Delaney Hall with two of those same colleagues, I had my worst fears confirmed. Injustice and suffering are visible in plain sight. Pregnant women writhe in pain without care. An injured man wept in fear for his life, and more alarming, the staff of this facility are unprepared and unable to care for those in their custody. I may never forget the faces of those detainees begging for help. These people deserve the fullness of our Constitution and laws. These immigrants deserve humanity, and we must fight for justice if we wish to protect our own. ____________________