GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Congresswoman Hillary Scholten has working in immigration for more than two decades.
She is renewing her calls for legislative change after a trip to the border last week.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. We are at a crisis point like never before in this country.”
Rep. Scholten says one of the biggest problems is that the current system just is not equipped to handle the number of people trying to cross, but she says she has a solution.
The congresswoman cosponsored and introduced “The Dignity Act” last May.
She says the legislation is the only bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform currently in Congress.
The bill would fund additional infrastructure and security measures.
It would also create new processing centers throughout Central and South America, along with Mexico, to help disperse the number of migrants at the border itself.
Congresswoman Scholten says the bill pays for itself through fee generating visas for those who choose to immigrate legally.
“It was shocking, as a mom, to see how many children are coming alone or, unfortunately and perhaps even worse, trafficked by an adult for illicit purposes,” Congresswoman Scholten recalled after her visit to the border. “It is really just a crisis that you can’t fully understand until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. Trying to tell my team and even my family about the experience many people shared, it’s hard to believe it’s real.”
Rep. Scholten says there has been no movement on The Dignity Act since it was introduced.
She called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to put the legislation on the agenda.
