A congressional committee voted Tuesday in favor of a Republican-sponsored resolution that condemns the use of K-12 schools for sheltering migrants, saying that the use diverts resources for education and poses a safety risk to schoolchildren.
Debate over the resolution got heated at times, with discourse over the use of the terms "invasion" and "alien" and insistence by Democrats that sheltering migrants does not make schools less safe.
The 2-page resolution, introduced by Reps. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, passed the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on a 22-16 partisan vote and will now advance to the full House for consideration. The resolution does not carry the force of law but indicates the collective thinking by the majority on the committee.
“How far will you bury your heads in the sand and deny that the real threat to school safety is gun violence?" said committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott, D-Va. "Any conversation about school safety that does not address gun safety is not a serious conversation."
Williams, however, said having "unvetted" immigrants in schools poses a major disruption to school programs and can make schools unsafe if they need to be on lockdown. "Schools are for educating, not for cushioning the consequences of bad policies," said Williams, referring to New York City's plan to potentially house immigrants in school gyms.
Enough is enough.
— Rep. Brandon Williams (@RepWilliams) June 6, 2023
.@RepMMM & I agree that we won't tolerate taxpayer funded schools housing migrants:
???? Unvetted migrants divert critical resources
???? Unverified migrants pose unsafe living conditions for students
???? Schools are for educating, not cushioning bad policies https://t.co/xdeGl3pXgy pic.twitter.com/DkVz8aI61I
Last summer, the New York City Department of Education launched “Project Open Arms,” which includes wraparound services for newcomer students and families. At least 1,000 children of asylum seekers, including preschoolers, were expected to enroll in the school system during the 2022-23 school year, according to district projections.
Many communities around the country are wondering about the impact from a recent change in immigration policy that reverts to a pre-pandemic system of processing all individuals who arrive at the U.S. border. Last year, officials in El Paso, Texas, said they were prepared to use a vacant school building to temporarily house migrants, if needed.
The committee also passed an amendment to the resolution that would render schools that shelter migrants ineligible for federal funding.
"New York City likes to brag about being a sanctuary city," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who introduced the amendment. "Meanwhile, they're begging the federal government for emergency aid to clean up the mess their own policies have created. We need to stop subsidizing [President Joe] Biden's border invasion."
Democrats on the committee called the resolution "shameful," "offensive," "harmful" and 'hateful." A few said they took offense to the word "invasion" in the debate, as well as the use of "alien'' in the resolution. Some conservative members, meanwhile, pointed out that the word "alien" is in federal statute.
Even if the word is in federal code, the term can be hurtful, some Democrats said. "I had many years where I was referred to as an alien, and I have to tell you it was a terrible experience," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who immigrated from India to the U.S. at age 16 and later became a U.S. citizen.
I don't think my Republican colleagues were ready to be called out for their hateful rhetoric.
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) June 6, 2023
We need to support asylum seekers who bring humanity to our nation and help our economy thrive. Their migration to our country is not an invasion. It’s survival. pic.twitter.com/PZoyOIMVV1
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said the resolution and amendment had "hateful, divisive rhetoric."
Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., slammed the gavel multiple times when Bowman said, "Now, I know none of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will admit to being racist, and I don't think they are. But when you look at the rhetoric, and you hear the talking points and look at the legislation as put forward, what are we to say?"
Foxx warned Bowman away from characterizing committee members' political positions or personality traits. Bowman said he was frustrated because "it seems like the legislation itself engages in personalities when it refers to a group of people — that is derogatory."
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said she was concerned the resolution would fuel more animosity toward migrants and people seeking asylum while not advancing school safety efforts.
"This committee should be working on evidence-based policies to make schools safer, but that's not happening," Bonamici said. "Unfortunately, the culture wars many of my colleagues are waging target and ostracize the most vulnerable students."
House Republicans, who hold the majority in that chamber, passed a bill in April that restricts students in K-12 and higher education from playing on sports teams that match their sex assigned at birth.
In March, the House approved the Parents Bill of Rights Act that supporters said would give parents more voice in school programs and provide more transparency. Opponents of that bill, however, said many of its provisions are already common practice at schools and would create unfunded mandates.
