The Dallas Morning News' Mercedes Olivera pens column on the child refugee crisis

I had the honor of being quoted by Mercedes Olivera in her column for The Dallas Morning News on June 21. The column, "Surge in immigrant kids challenges both parties," explored how politicians are responding to the refugee crisis. Sadly, while many Democrats see the obvious humanitarian crisis, Republicans are playing demagogue to the anti-immigrant crowd. I'm glad that as a member of the Cafe con Leche Republicans, we are working to change the tone in our party.

To read Mercedes' column, click right here to visit DallasNews.com.

The Stories of the Immigrants

I have created a special section collecting my articles on the issue of immigration. Over a year ago, I met Ralph Isenberg of the Isenberg Center for Immigration Empowerment, located in the north Oak Cliff section of Dallas. He introduced me to the human toll exacted by our broken immigration system by introducing me to the foreign nationals his group assists. I hope you'll take the time to read the stories and discover the truth beyond the rhetoric. You can view the stories by clicking here.

An immigration lesson on St. Patrick's Day

On this St. Patrick's Day, it is important to remember that our current furor over Mexican immigrants is nearly identical to the Irish influx over a century ago. At the time, The Chicago Post wrote, "The Irish fill our prisons, our poor houses...Scratch a convict or a pauper, and the chances are that you tickle the skin of an Irish Catholic. Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country." Yet, the Irish assimilated.

It is easy to make crass, ignorant generalizations, but much harder to admit that our country is strong enough, and the willingness of immigrants to succeed and assimilate deep enough, to weather such trends. It is key to remember that studies show that current immigrants are assimilating much quicker than previous generations. America will endure.

To read more about the Irish immigration movement, click right here.