The U.S. House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution on June 22 that denounces the government taking control of spaces in public elementary and secondary schools to house illegal immigrants.
Illegal immigration is one of the most contentious issues separating Democrats and Republicans, and the vote approving the resolution was strictly along party lines, with 219 Republicans voting yes, and 206 Democrats voting no.
The lower chamber of Congress took up discussion of the act following its debate, which lasted for about an hour and 15 minutes, of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) controversial resolution to impeach President Biden, an action that was opposed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans. The impeachment resolution was ultimately sent to two committees, which delayed a vote on the measure.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) authored H. Res. 461 “Condemning the use of elementary and secondary school facilities to provide shelter for aliens who are not admitted to the United States.”
Miller-Meeks and Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) introduced the bill on June 1.
Sanctuary cities like New York and Chicago, which have opened their arms and embraced illegal immigrants—and which are now in crisis mode, with support resources dwindling and the challenges of feeding, housing, providing medical care, and other services rapidly rising–have proposed requisitioning schools to house the migrants.
Earlier this spring, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city was preparing to house immigrants in as many as 20 stand-alone gyms on the campuses of public schools in the city. The plan ran up against fervent and stalwart opposition and not all from Republican lawmakers.
In fact, in mid-May, when the city made the decision to start moving illegal immigrants into the stand-alone gyms of several public schools in the borough of Brooklyn, whose students were largely from working-class families of color, parents of the students firmly protested. Parents showed up at the schools and cried foul that their kids would not have access to vital exercise space and would also have their safety jeopardized.
Sending a Message and Stating a Position
Being nonbinding, the resolution is mostly a political statement. It wields little to no direct bite or power to halt or block the government from using schools as residences.And, yet, the GOP asserts there is significant value in making the statement and publicizing what it says is a disastrous Biden administration border policy, the negative consequences of which include putting young people at risk and depriving them of needed learning and educational opportunities.
Virginia Fox (R-N.C.), who started the discussion and debate on the resolution on the House floor on June 22, directly addressed the legislative and procedural nature of the act, calling it a “crystal clear rebuke of the chaos at the border,” and “we’re voting on a resolution today to condemn the threat posed to children.”
Fox added: “Our resolution condemns the breakdown of law and order at the southern border. It condemns the lawlessness perpetuated by blue cities and states like New York.”
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) declared that the resolution was another Republican political ploy, grandstanding, and not confronting and dealing with the most urgent problems facing school children.
“Like clockwork, we are here, yet again, taking up another proposal that, among other things, reports to improve school safety but does nothing to address gun violence in schools or improve students’ mental health,” said Scott. “So far this Congress, the Republican priorities for K through 12 education are focused almost entirely on so-called culture wars.
“First, the House Republicans passed legislation to ban books. House then advanced legislation targeting trans students. We just debated an impeachment resolution, and now the House is considering a proposal that would encourage taking away funding from schools whose facilities are used to temporarily house refugees and immigrants.”
Rep. Miller-Meeks, a medical doctor, laid out in her statement in the chamber how housing illegal immigrants in schools presents safety threats to children and deprives them of educational opportunity.
“As a mother and a physician, I do not see how my colleagues on the other side of the aisle can let this stand,” said Miller-Meeks.
“Using school facilities as shelter free legal aliens instead of as schools, as they were intended, creates a host of issues ranging from safety hazards for young children to a free fall of security issues as a result of not providing adequate accommodations or security screenings.
Miller-Meeks cited that the policy of housing migrants in schools removes recreational and exercise space, and it brings with it increased costs for cleaning and maintenance. She said that the policy diverts educational resources away from children.
“And in most cases, we have little or no background information upon these individuals; it provides an avoidable and incredible security risk,” said Miller-Meeks. “We must protect America’s children and save our educational systems from being robbed of their purpose.”
