Tenney Seeks Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amid Border Crisis

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today delivered the following remarks at a press conference led by Representative Maria Salazar (FL-27) focused on the ongoing border crisis and existing challenges that face our immigration system. Tenney believes now is the time for Congress to work together in a bipartisan way to develop real solutions that restore order to our Nation’s border and fix our broken immigration system. 

"Good morning, I am Claudia Tenney from New York’s 22nd district, and I just wanted to say thank you to Representative Salazar for her courage and her tenacity and bringing this very difficult issue forward. It’s something we need to discuss, and we need to talk about. She’s trying to find a balance between valuing citizenship and making sure that we preserve citizens already in this country while allowing new citizens to come in with dignity and with integrity. I really give her credit for that. I know this has been a tough issue. 

"I’m really disappointed that the Democrats have not chosen another path to have meetings and hearing from people like Representative Salazar and others before shoving through legislation. It reminds me of my horrible days in Albany, where we never had committee meetings with any meaningful discussion. I think that’s what we need to do now, and I think that’s what Representative Salazar and everybody here would like to see - a real discussion with real solutions, not partisan rhetoric and not partisan bills that haven’t been weighed in by everyone. We need to treat these people with dignity and with care. They are valuable to our communities. I like the ideas that Maria has put forth. I appreciate what Senator Graham said, ‘we are just having a knee-jerk reaction...just because Trump did it, we have to do it another way.' I think that it’s important that we have conversations and we have meetings, and we actually discuss these issues once again. 

"We did have some solutions in the 115th Congress where I served before, but they never made it anywhere. I think it’s time now. We are well past due. This is a really vital humanitarian issue that is brewing before us, and many people who have witnessed it would like to see a solution as we all do."

At the press conference, Rep. Salazar outlined her proposal, the Dignity Plan, which tackles key issues such as border security, immigration enforcement, asylum reform, protections for Dreamers, practical solutions for undocumented immigrants and guest worker programs. 

Other attendees at the press conference include Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C), Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Fred Upton (MI-06), Blake Moore (UT-01), John Curtis (UT-03), Burgess Owens (UT-04), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), and David Valadao (CA-21).

Tenney has previously called on the Biden Administration to reverse its damaging policies that have weakened our border security and created the ongoing crisis. Tenney is committed to working with the Administration and her colleagues in Congress to adopt commonsense policies for the American immigration system

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