Dear [firstname],

It’s hard to watch what’s happening along our southern border and not be some combination of angry, frustrated, worried, and heartbroken. This is an issue that impacts us all. I talked about immigration during my last town hall, but if you missed it, I wanted to provide an update here.  

My own family story shapes the way I look at this complex issue — my father and grandmother survived the Holocaust. They left war-torn Poland after World War II and sought a better way of life in the United States. 

Our immigration policies must align with the shared values of our country, a country primarily built by immigrants, and we must do so with compassion while protecting our safety. I have traveled to the border and met with border patrol agents, migrants, and some of the community organizations trying to help. We are a nation of laws, and I agree with the vast majority of Americans that our laws aren’t currently supporting an efficient immigration system or securing our southwestern border. 

Border Crossings Are Up 

If you'd like to dig into the data yourself, you can do so using the dashboard run by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.  

Here’s a snapshot: 

Click here to view the CBP dashboard which includes data on the southwestern border since 2017.

As you can see, encounters at our southwestern border have been going up year after year. This isn’t the result of one Administration — Republican or Democrat — but decades of Congressional inaction. Our world has changed a lot since the last time Congress passed comprehensive immigration reform – our laws must change, too. We have not signed substantial immigration reform into law since 1996 — it is long overdue.

How we got here 

The challenges at the southwestern border are not new, nor is the debate over what actions to take. In 2006 and again in 2013, over a decade before I started serving our community in Congress, the Senate passed bipartisan bills to address our immigration system and security at the southern border. However, neither bill ever made it through the House of Representatives. 

Since I joined Congress, I have primarily been able to address concerns at the border through the federal budget because no comprehensive, bipartisan immigration legislation has been brought before the House. For example, I voted for the 2023 federal budget, which included $16.7 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), $1.8 billion more than the previous year, and $1.3 billion above the President’s budget request. 

How we can address these problems   

In addition to using the federal budget, we can (and should) address these issues by passing comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to modernize our immigration policies and improve border security. I support the only such bill in the U.S. House to accomplish those goals: the DIGNITY Act. 

Here’s what the bill would do:   

• Provide more money for CBP and border infrastructure to prevent illegal immigration 

• Require employers to verify the immigration status of workers, to ensure they’re here lawfully 

• Provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers (children of immigrants who came here when they were very young) 

• Establish a path to permanent residency status for eligible individuals without lawful immigration status who meet various requirements, including paying into a fund to provide training to U.S. workers.  

On border security, the DIGNITY Act (a comprehensive, bipartisan bill backed by Republicans and Democrats) and H.R. 2 (a border-only, partisan bill backed only by Republicans) are similar: both provide similar amounts of money for personnel and border infrastructure. But on immigration reform, these bills could not be more different.   

Here is what H.R. 2 would do:   

• Remove the requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) transfer children to the custody of Health and Human Services (HHS) within 72 hours. Under the bill, DHS could maintain custody of minors for up to a month, while HHS is better equipped to provide them with the proper care 

• Eliminate the requirement of a bilateral or multilateral agreement for the removal of an individual (not just children) to a safe third country. This would mean that the U.S. could send deportees to countries that have not necessarily agreed to take these people without assurance of a safe or viable pathway to lawful residence 

• Limit and potentially eliminate federal partnerships with faith-based and other non-governmental charitable organizations because of their work serving immigrants in need at the border 

When I went to the border, I saw firsthand the need for a well-rounded approach. Anything less would be a short-term fix to a long-term problem. 

So, where do we go from here? 

As we explore what’s to come and tangible solutions on immigration, we must remember that we are a nation of immigrants. For many of us, our ancestors arrived from somewhere else, and we are reminded of an undeniable truth that unites us — every human deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of where they were born. 

That’s why I was so disappointed when Speaker Johnson wouldn’t commit to bringing a bipartisan immigration bill to the House floor, saying “now is not the time for comprehensive immigration reform...” I couldn’t disagree more. 

Late last week, in response to Speaker Johnson’s comments, my colleagues and I on the New Democrat Coalition sent a letter urging him to put partisan differences aside to secure our southwestern border and reform our immigration system. You can read that letter here or below. 

Aside from my work in the New Democrat Coalition, I am a member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels. In addition, my bill to combat the fentanyl crisis by requiring detailed explanations of counternarcotic efforts in the Director of National Intelligence’s annual budget request was signed into law last month. 

My point is this: immigration reform is one of my top priorities, and I know it’s important to our community, too. Our office has handled hundreds of immigration cases for Pennsylvanians caught in bureaucratic limbo – not sure if they will be able to see their family or keep their job. That’s not right, and we need to find durable solutions to fix our entire immigration system.  

Please know that I will continue to keep you updated as Congress moves forward. 

.  .  . 

Serving as our community's representative is the honor of my lifetime, and I hope to hear from you soon about any issue that concerns you.  

As always, please contact my office if you need assistance. 

Be well and see you soon! 

Chrissy Houlahan 

U.S. Member of Congress