While Indian-American politicians often face trolls, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal When she recounted how she came to the United States alone at 16, she was told her parents were wasting their money sending her to the United States. “My parents sent me to the United States alone when I was 16. They had $5,000 in their bank account and they used all their money to send me here, even though I would never live on the same continent as them again, because they truly believed that America was the best place in the world and that’s where I would get the best education and the most opportunities,” Jayapal said. “Fighting for justice and dignity for our immigrant neighbors has never been ‘purely political.’ To me, it’s personal,” Jayapal wrote on social media as he posted a video of the speech. “What a waste of money,” Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank tweeted attacking Jayapal. “I don’t blame them. I bet the return of this money will change the lives of all of you for the money you took. Better than winning the lottery,” another wrote in the comments section. Jayapal delivered the speech as part of a number of past congressional hearings. Most recently, Jayapal condemned ICE’s arrests of U.S. citizens at a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing in which outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified earlier this month. Jayapal brought four guests to the hearing and claimed they were all U.S. citizens and were being detained. None of them have been charged with any crime. “If you have been detained and have not been charged with any crime, please raise your hands,” Jayapal said as everyone raised their hands during the hearing. “None of you have been charged with a crime.” “Now, if any of you have not been asked to prove you are a U.S. citizen while in custody, please raise your hands. None of you have been asked about your citizenship status, which is a clear indication that DHS agents don’t care that they are arresting U.S. citizens,” she said, and everyone in the crowd raised their hands again.
