Congress is trying to fix the nation’s immigration system, which Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others say is “broken” and in need of repair. So, we reached out to Democratic Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia to get his take. The issue hits home for Garcia. About 30 percent of residents in his 4th District are foreign-born, and he is, too. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. What do you want to see in a border deal? “We need to ensure that there's adequate funding to meet the needs of welcoming cities like Chicago and others who are receiving migrants. We also need to make sure nonprofit organizations that have been playing a frontline role in caring for migrants also receive support. And there needs to be something to address the massive immigration backlogs. We need more immigration judges and hearing officers.” What’s your take so far on HR2? “It's the cruelest immigration bill we've seen in a long time. It doubles down on detention, and it basically ends asylum as we know it and continues the border wall.” Where are Democrats on bill? “We don't have a proposal in front of us yet. We have bits and pieces and rumors of conversations that have taken place. But I believe in a humane immigration system that’s focused on compassion and not criminalization.” How did we get to this point? “We should have known that, given the ravages of Covid in the Latin American economies, there was going to be a big displacement of people and uprooting of people. We should have known that given the Trump policy towards Venezuela and the sanctions that would have a direct impact on displacing so many people that are winding up at our doorstep.” Do you support steps to limit crossings or deportations? “I support measures that would prevent people from coming here — the type of investment that should have happened in the wake of Covid. And the impact on those economies. People are migrating because of their desperation. They're migrating in part because of our foreign policy in their home countries. And they're losing their hope that they can make a life in their countries of origin. They certainly don’t migrate here because they believe that the streets are paved with gold.” Do you favor more temporary protection status for more populations? “I support providing more people with work authorization. We attempted to do that in the Build Back Better bill, when we negotiated — the Three Amigos Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and myself — in the 11th hour when we passed it out of the House, but it stalled in the Senate. Remember, these are immigrants that have been contributing to this country, who have strong ties here, who have family members who are U.S. citizens. They just want peace of mind to be able to go to work and not worry about deportation. They want to live a normal life.” Should there be limits migrants being sent to other cities and states? “Republican governors have said that they're willing to work with the federal government for the orderly placement of people in their states where labor market shortages are greatest. We can make that happen. But certainly exploiting people and trafficking in migrants to score political points is not meeting the needs of our economy and the national interest. So, we can do it if we resolve to do it.” RELATED: Republicans aren’t the only ones pushing for border policy changes: Democrats like Gov. JB Pritzker are calling for changes, too. The federal government needs to “coordinate the flow of migrants coming in from the southern border instead of allowing their final destinations to be selected by politically motivated Texas politicians,” Pritzker told POLITICO, via our team’s deep bench of reporters.
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