WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) issued the following statement on H.R. 5230, House Republicans’ legislation to roll back protections for unaccompanied children fleeing violence and seeking refugee status in the United States:

“The bill House Republicans scrambled together and rushed through Congress tonight is as irresponsible as it is coldhearted, and its focus on additional border security reflects a misunderstanding of the problems at our Southern border. Rather than punishing children seeking refuge from violence, Congress should be working to find ways to accommodate them as they move through our legal immigration system.”

Yarmuth was part of the House “Gang of 8,” four Republicans and four Democrats who worked together for more than a year to develop bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation.