WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) voted against H. Res. 461, a mean-spirited resolution that threatens to take federal funds from public schools if any of their facilities are used to temporarily house refugees or migrants.

“House Republicans want to once again scapegoat migrant children and families fleeing persecution and violence in the name of ‘preserving’ public education labeling migrants as a ‘safety risk’,” said Rep. Grijalva. “I condemn this resolution as a xenophobic attack that perpetuates nativism and distracts from the real issues facing our kids and educators in our public education system. We will continue to fight for inclusive and humane immigration policies as well as support for local communities to address the needs of asylum seekers, funding for our public schools and protecting our children from real threats like gun violence.”

This year, alone, there have been more than 20 school shootingsacross the country.  According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens. Parents, teachers, and students are begging Congress to help stop school shootings.

While Republicans have refused to act on education, Congressional Democrats, through the American Rescue Plan Act, provided over $120 billion dollars for K-12 education to help schools and students recover from the pandemic, 20 percent of which was reserved for addressing learning loss. In 2022, Rep. Grijalva and House Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee advanced the School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act, which would help obtain better data on school shootings.