ST. PAUL, MN - Today, Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) joined more than two dozen U.S. Members of Congress, led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) at a field hearing in Minneapolis titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump's Deadly Assault on Minnesota.

Below is a transcript of his remarks:

"Thank you, Ranking Member Jayapal and Representative Omar, for organizing this really important visit. And thank you, Minnesota for standing up for the belief that all of us are created equal in this year that we celebrate 250 years of that promise.

"Because what we're seeing in Minnesota is a community defending and protecting itself from an authoritarian takeover that is spreading violence and chaos in the streets.

"But by now, none of this is new. The federal government lawlessly invaded Chicago last year, sowing terror, and my district was the epicenter of their campaign of terror across the Chicagoland area.

"It was the same pattern that we're seeing here: flooding the streets with armed, masked goons who kidnap and assault our neighbors with impunity. ICE agents murdered Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez after he dropped his kids off at school, and shot Marimar Martinez, a teacher, without justification, as the cowards in the White House and at DHS lie over and over again.

"This is not a coincidence; this is their playbook. Invade our cities, escalate violence against our neighbors, and incite our communities to justify brutality.

"But here's what became clear in Chicago, and what's become clear in the Twin Cities. Our communities are stronger and braver than the sadistic criminals that they have unleashed on us.

"In Chicago, our longstanding coalition of community groups has mobilized to protect our residents and make sure that they know their rights. You are doing that right here.

"And we've seen a lot of that organizing and mobilizing right here. No matter how much Trump and his cronies lie, rapid response networks keep our communities safe. They represent the strength and resilience of our people in the face of government brutality.

"Thank you for protecting my two grandchildren in Minneapolis, my son and all of their neighbors."

A video of his remarks can be found on this link.

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