IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOLS

On 2026-01-07, Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) delivered a floor speech titled "IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOLS" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered gun policy, the environment.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOLS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)] [House] [Page H105] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SCHOOLS (Ms. Bonamici of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound opposition to this administration's aggressive and cruel immigration enforcement actions, especially targeting students and parents near schools. Throughout the last year, the Trump administration's hard-line immigration enforcement campaign has terrorized communities and created an environment where many students don't even feel safe going to school. Children can't learn when they are living in constant fear. At a townhall meeting last year, a fourth grade student, a 10-year- old, gave me a handwritten letter saying that she was afraid that ICE was going to come into her school and take her friends. Children may not understand the complexities of the immigration system, but they know that masked people indiscriminately kidnapping people off the street is wrong and terrifying. In July, a Beaverton, Oregon, father was dropping off his child at preschool. With his child in the car, ICE surrounded him, traumatizing the child, other parents, and preschool teachers. ICE then arrested the father within sight of the school. In October, two Oregon high school students were at a drive-through coffee shop near their school. They were surrounded by multiple ICE agents who were pointing guns at them. That is terrifying, outrageous, and obviously dangerous. At a recent city council meeting, an Oregon high school student bravely shared his concerns and the concerns of his peers, especially those who cannot speak up for themselves because they are too afraid. This compassionate student has been raising money to help people in his community whose lives are being torn apart by this administration's immigration enforcement tactics. Mr. Speaker, hundreds of students across northwest Oregon have bravely protested the ongoing immigration enforcement that is happening in their communities, and I am grateful for their acts of peaceful protest that are calling attention to these injustices. The reality is that too many students are afraid to leave their homes, even to go to school. At a time when chronic absenteeism is at a record high, more students are switching to attending school online if they can because they don't feel safe, or they stop going altogether. A small school district in northwest Oregon told me that more than 150 students have withdrawn this year, an increase of 120 since this time last year. It is likely that most of them left school because they are afraid of ICE. Statewide, it is estimated that more than 10,000 students are now unaccounted for. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the media is force-feeding the public stories about parents and children being afraid to return to school. This is categorically untrue. Despite what the Department of Homeland Security wants people to believe, ICE is creating significant levels of fear, including around schools. Mr. Speaker, this is not about targeting criminals. It is about targeting, arresting, and detaining people because of their national origin or the color of their skin. This ought to send chills down the spines of everyone in this body and this country. As someone who has dedicated years of my career to education and striving to create a better future for children, I am appalled but, sadly, not surprised that this administration continues to terrorize children, using the same playbook as when they separated families at the border. Let me be clear: According to the United States Supreme Court, all children, regardless of their immigration status, have the right to attend public schools. The ICE tactics that we are seeing of targeting students and families will have lasting effects on children and families, and they will cause generational trauma. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to show some empathy and kindness. Work with us to protect sensitive locations. Work with us on humane immigration reform. We cannot allow these abuses of power and these lawless actions to continue. Let's put an end to this ugly chapter in our country's history and do better for our Nation and our children. ____________________