Rep. TJ Cox votes to pass critical border legislation to protect kids and keep nation safe

The timely legislation assists vulnerable families, including funding for food, shelter, clothing, refugee services, medical care, and legal assistance.

“The current Administration’s anti-immigrant policies have endangered the health and lives of too many children and families, and we needed to take immediate action,” said first-term Congressman Cox.

“Children should never be separated from their parents or forced to live in unsanitary living spaces. I’m committed to doing everything in my power to prevent the suffering of innocent, migrant families.”

Cox insisted that the United States remain faithful to the foundation the country was built on and urged people not forget the immortal words of Ronald Reagan, our 40th president: ‘We lead the world because we draw our people, our strength from every corner of the world and if we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would be lost.”

Among its many provisions the legislation does the following:

• Addresses the root cause of the crisis by reversing the Trump Administration’s decisions to block U.S. assistance that Congress has already appropriated for the Northern Triangle Countries, and ensures funding is used responsibly to improve border security.
• Protects families by not funding the Administration’s mass detention policy and instead funds humane alternatives to detention that have a proven track record of success, placing strict limits on influx shelters.
• Provides $4.5 billion in emergency spending to address the humanitarian issues on our Southern border. The funding will strengthen health standards for families in Custom Border Patrol Custody, secures robust funding to relieve them from the terrible situation of over-crowding, and helps prevent additional tragic deaths.