(DailyVantage.com) – Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., has come under fire for appearing to close his eyes and lower his head during emotional testimony about migrant-related crime at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. Families who had lost loved ones to violent crimes involving illegal immigrants were sharing their stories, and Nadler’s apparent lack of attention sparked outrage among attendees and fellow lawmakers. Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Dan Bishop, R-N.C., were particularly vocal, accusing Nadler, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, of showing disrespect to the grieving families. A photo from the hearing shows Nadler with his head down while an aide beside him looks at his phone.
This happened as mothers, including Patty Morin, shared heart-wrenching accounts of loss. Morin’s 37-year-old daughter Rachel was brutally raped and murdered by an alleged illegal immigrant from El Salvador. The tragedy occurred on a hiking trail in Maryland, and Morin, who was also a mother of five and a small business owner, was left with severe injuries before being found dead in a culvert.
Speaking after the hearing, Morin expressed her disappointment with how some members of the committee responded, particularly Nadler. She explained that she didn’t attend the hearing for political reasons but to raise awareness about the impact of migrant crime. “This is an American issue,” she said. “If we don’t do something, families are going to be devastated.” Morin added that the pain of losing a child doesn’t fade over time, describing the emotional toll as something that lingers.
Nadler did offer brief condolences to the witnesses at the beginning of the hearing, saying, “I cannot imagine how difficult this loss has been for you.” However, he soon shifted to labeling the proceedings as a “partisan hearing designed to divide us and score political points before an election.” His demeanor during the testimony angered many in attendance, who felt that the seriousness of the issue was being dismissed. Families who testified, including four who lost children due to the border crisis, hope that their stories will lead to bipartisan action on the growing problem of migrant-related crime, as highlighted in reports on the hearing.
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