How Is This Upholding The Ideals Of Our Nation?': Rob Menendez Sounds Off On Trump's Deportations

4/1/2025

On the House Floor on Tuesday, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) argued against the Trump administration's deportations.

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Transcript

00:00Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against the administration's immigration enforcement

00:09policies.

00:10For months, the President and House Republicans have said that they are only targeting violent

00:15criminals.

00:16Why is it then that last week, ICE attempted to deport a constituent of mine who had been

00:21granted legal protections against removal under the Convention Against Torture?

00:27This woman, the victim of unspeakable crimes in her home country, came here to the United

00:32States for her safety, which is now being undermined by this administration.

00:37Imagine being a United States citizen and the horror you would feel when your family

00:42member against someone who had been granted legal protection is taken in the middle of

00:47the night and driven to Mexico, a country to which she has no ties.

00:52How is this making our country safer?

00:55How is this upholding the ideals of our nation?

00:59Mr. Speaker, when this administration talks about mass deportations, this is what they

01:04mean, taking people in the middle of the night who have a right to be here and trying to

01:09remove them to foreign countries.

01:12My office is doing everything we can to help this woman and her family.

01:17But it begs the question, if this is how the administration treats someone with an attorney

01:22and the support of a member of Congress, what does that mean for all those who don't

01:28have anyone fighting for them?

01:30Who is speaking up for them?

01:32And if we say nothing, then what does that say about us?

01:37This can't be what we stand for as a country.

01:40As a grandson of immigrants and the representative of a proud immigrant community, it's something

01:46that I will always fight against.

01:50Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the Trump administration and House Republicans have set their sights

01:54on the federal judiciary, calling for unprecedented changes to our courts, attacking the character

02:00of dedicated federal judges, and attempting to undermine the separation of powers that

02:05has upheld our democracy for centuries.

02:08As an attorney by trade, I understand how concerning this is for our nation's future.

02:13In this moment, we cannot be silent nor treat these attacks as normal.

02:17Mr. Speaker, I'd like to read excerpts from the American Bar Association's statement on

02:22the Republican assault on our judiciary into the record.

02:26There have now been statements by officials criticizing judges for not following the will

02:30of the people.

02:31Judges swear oaths to follow the law, not public opinion polling or political chatter

02:36or what someone contends is the will of the people.

02:38The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote in his 2024 year-end report on the federal

02:43judiciary, quote, attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate

02:49and should be vigorously opposed, end quote.

02:52We may disagree with interpretation of case law, but it is unacceptable to personally

02:57target judges just because we disagree with their ruling.

03:01We cannot have a judicial system where the government seeks to remove judges simply because

03:05they do not rule as the government desires.

03:08Considering the increasing physical threats to judges, these are clearly efforts to intimidate

03:12judges and our courts.

03:14We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession.

03:18We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something

03:22that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not.

03:27Words and actions matter, and the intimidating words and actions we have heard must end.

03:33Consistent with the Chief Justice's report, these efforts cannot be sanctioned or normalized.

03:38These are clear choices facing our profession.

03:41We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to continue, or we can stand for

03:46the rule of law and the values we hold dear.

03:48We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers who serve in elected positions, to

03:53speak out against intimidation.

03:55We acknowledge that there are risks to standing up and addressing these important issues,

03:59but if the ABA and lawyers do not speak, who will speak for the organized bar?

04:04Who will speak for the judiciary?

04:06Who will protect our system of justice?

04:09If we don't speak now, when will we speak?

04:12The American Bar Association has chosen to stand and speak.

04:16Now is the time for all of us to speak with one voice.

04:19We invite you to stand with us.

04:21Thank you, and I yield back.

How Is This Upholding The Ideals Of Our Nation?': Rob Menendez Sounds Off On Trump's Deportations

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