[Page H7390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IT IS TIME FOR SENATE TO ACT ON IMMIGRATION

  (Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the 
House for passing H.R. 3239 to provide humanitarian standards for 
migrants and refugees in Customs and Border Protection custody at our 
border.
  Having visited the U.S.-Mexico border now twice in the past 12 
months, I know how desperately this bill was needed.
  We have good news and bad news. The good news is that the children, 
the young children, are no longer being separated from their biological 
parents, although we did see 310 children separated from aunts, uncles, 
and grandparents.
  But the worst news was the migrants who we saw held in overcrowded 
conditions for up to 40 to 60 days without any access to basic 
services, like a hot meal or a shower or being able to brush their 
teeth.
  These are inhumane conditions and a human rights violation.
  That is why I was proud to cosponsor the bill sponsored by Dr. Raul 
Ruiz to enact critical safety, nutrition, and hygiene standards for 
migrants in custody. I was pleased that the House accepted my 
amendments to protect women from sexual assault at the border.

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