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As Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) sees it, the Jewish and Dominican communities in his diverse Manhattan district have a lot in common. Both are diasporas: The Jewish community keeps close tabs on happenings in Israel, while Dominicans remain closely connected to their Caribbean homeland.
“Both are very family-oriented and religious. Both, of course contribute back home,” said Espaillat, who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic as an undocumented immigrant when he was a child. “Of course, they love politics back home, they follow it like a national sport. And as a result, I think because of those similarities, we have been able to build bridges.”
Who else will be there: Testifying alongside Miller on Wednesday will be former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee.
In his testimony, Rosen will similarly defend preparations ahead of the attack, according to a copy of remarks obtained by The Hill.
Rosen’s defense: “I believe that DOJ [Department of Justice] reasonably prepared for contingencies ahead of January 6, understanding that there was considerable uncertainty as to how many people would arrive, who those people would be, and precisely what purposes they would pursue. Unlike the police, DOJ had no frontline role with respect to crowd control,” Rosen wrote. “But DOJ took appropriate precautions to have tactical support available if contingencies led to them being called upon.”
These statements echo a shameful moment 82 years ago when Congress considered a similar proposal for Jewish children seeking refuge from Nazi Germany. In fact, on May 5, 1939, a joint subcommittee of Congress approved bipartisan legislation to help those children. What happened to the bill is a little-known but repugnant stain on American values.
In November 1938, the Reich’s official antisemitism took a new turn when violent riots against Jews spread across Germany and Austria. Businesses were destroyed, synagogues burned-down, Jews beaten and murdered. But America had no room for any additional refugees. Immigration law dating back to the 1920s capped visas from Germany at 27,370 a number that was reached almost instantly at the beginning of each year.