Sheridan Criticizes Rep. Calvert’s Response to Murrieta Immigration Crisis

Tim Sheridan, the Democratic nominee in the race for California's 42nd Congressional District, criticized 20-year incumbent Congressman Ken Calvert's statement on the refugee transfer to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Murrieta, California. 

 

“Mr. Calvert’s assertion that the President is to blame for this issue is audacious to say the least,” Sheridan said. “There has been a bill sitting in Congress for more than a year designed to address issues such as this that Mr. Calvert and his colleagues have refused to consider – one that even the Senate Republicans supported. This is another example of how the House of Representatives under the leadership of John Boehner and Ken Calvert is broken, and why we need a new representative in California’s 42nd District,” Sheridan added.

 

 

Sheridan is referring to the Senate’s bi-partisan immigration reform bill (S-744), passed on April 16, 2013, which, among other things, would have paid for additional border patrol and processing facilities. The bill – The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act – has languished in the House for more than a year, not even being allowed to come up on the House floor for a simple up or down vote. 

 

“Mr. Calvert, for his part, has refused to show any leadership on the issue of immigration reform,” Sheridan said, “This situation highlights Mr. Calvert’s ineffectiveness as a member of Congress in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse 42nd District.”

 

According to reports, the leader of the Border Patrol agents’ union has said that the Murrieta facility is ill equipped to handle such a large number of detainees. He added that agents are being pulled off other important duties to handle the processing. “Here is another problem that Mr. Calvert has refused to address in Congress – why is it that the Murrieta Border Patrol facility is so ill equipped?” Sheridan asked. “Had Mr. Calvert been working harder and paying attention to the issue of immigration during the 20 years that he has been in Congress, especially given the proximity of Riverside County to the border, we would not find ourselves in a “short-handed, ill-equipped” situation right now.” Sheridan added.

 

“When I get to Washington, I will work to support sensible immigration reform,” Sheridan said, “We need a representative in Washington who will work with both Republicans and Democrats to address this issue – I’ll make this my mission.”

For more information about Tim Sheridan, visit http://sheridanforcongress.com/

For more information about the Senate bill: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s744