Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) is in a powerful position as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District, which runs along the western border of the state, from Harrisonburg down to Roanoke.
Last night, Goodlatte met some people who are directly impacted by immigration reform. DREAMers were at Goodlatte’s town hall in Lynchburg:
Congressman Bob Goodlatte held a town hall style meeting in Lynchburg Tuesday night. Several hot button issues came up. But, immigration reform was one that really stuck out.
In particular, Goodlatte said that he was not in the least bit supportive of the recent immigration bill that passed in the Senate. Saying a path to citizenship should not precede border security.
But the discussion turned personal when the audience spoke out.
She was the last speaker of the night. 16 year old Dulce Elias bravely stood and spoke.
“I am undocumented and it’s hard. Those people that speak so wrongfully about it, they don’t know how it’s like to live in fear that your parents may be deported, that you’re going to be deported” she said.
Elias is a so-called “dreamer;” one of millions of children of illegal immigrants, brought to the U.S. as infants. She’s here illegally but hopes Congress will pass an immigration reform bill that would offer her a path to citizenship.
“They don’t know what it’s like. So I’m asking you to please, look into this” she said.
“Well we are definitely working on this issue” replied Goodlatte.
And, check out this tweet:
Preparing for Congressman Goodlatte#CIR @OFA-VA pic.twitter.com/W22AMI3NrJ
— Eddie Seay (@EddieSeay1) July 3, 2013
