Congress held in emergency special session late last night to discuss the urgent issue of illegal immigration. This Republican Congress, which is scheduled to run through 2017, is taking advantage of their strength in numbers – this is the first Republican ran Congress since 2007. In this emergency late-night session, Congress voted 322 to 105 in favor of dismantling the statue of liberty due to its “misleading statements” engraved on its pedestal.
It reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” According to Americans Against Illegal Immigration, along with our Republican Congress and Donald Trump, this statement misleads immigrants from other countries. It may have them believing they are welcome into America at any time.
“We do not want to allow the tired, poor and homeless into this country. We have enough of those already,” said Jed Crowley, a representative from Americans Against Illegal Immigration. “If they’re tired, poor and homeless in their own country, what makes you think they’ll do any better over here. Guarantee you they will go on welfare and rob people to survive.”
The dismantling of the Statue of Liberty will begin on March 1, 2016. It is estimated it will take two months to dismantle, then released for shipment back to France by the end of 2016. The Statue of Liberty has been seated on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor since October 28, 1886.
The New York historical Museum, has already vowed to occupy the area around the historic site for a “sit in” type protest where they will handcuff one another to form a complete circle around the base of the statue.
“They cannot tear it down if we form an unbreakable human barrier,” said José Ramirez, president of the Immigrant Resource Center of New York. “As Patrick Henry said, ‘Give me liberty, or give me death!’ We are not backing down.” The protest is scheduled for January 18, 2016.