Representative Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.) lashed out at Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen during a Congressional hearing Thursday, accusing her and her colleagues of betraying Christian values by enforcing immigration law and pushing for the construction of a border wall.
“It is repugnant to me and astonishing to me that during Christmas … a time in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a Jesus Christ who had to flee for his life with Mary and Joseph,” Gutierrez shouted. “Thank God there wasn’t a wall that stopped him from seeking refuge in Egypt. Thank God that wall wasn’t there, and thank God there wasn’t an administration like this or he would too have perished.”
“Shame on everybody that separates children and allows them to stay on the other side of the border fearing death, fearing sickness,” he concluded. “Shame on us for wearing our badge of Christianity during Christmas, and allowing the secretary to come here and lie.”
Unhinged Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez mocks people that say Christmas, instead of holiday season, and then says Trump would share responsibility for killing baby Jesus. pic.twitter.com/lSpezOCT8F
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 20, 2018
Nielsen pushed back against the notion that the administration implemented a family separation policy as Gutierrez left the room.
“I take personal offense on behalf of the 240,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security,” Nielsen said.
Representative Louie Gohmert (R., Texas) also came to Nielsen’s defense and criticized Gutierrez for personally attacking her.
“It grieves me for anyone who’s part of this committee to slander you and be remorseless when they make slanderous comments about you or mean-spirited remarks about people in the admininistration who simply want to enforce the law,” he said.
Gohmert went on to ask Nielsen if, under current law, Mary, Joseph and Jesus would have been granted asylum in the U.S. if they were fleeing persecution at the hands of King Herrod, and she answered that they would.
Gutierrez, who is vacating his seat at the end of the year, has been arrested on numerous occasions for unlawfully protesting in favor of more permissive immigration policy.