A Democratic Congressman suggested taking down the Statue of Liberty to reflect Republicans' efforts to increase border security and reduce illegal immigration.
Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida introduced the legislation in response to Republican support for the Secure the Border Act of 2023, also known as House Resolution 2.
“To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, let's be honest with immigrants who deserve better than what you're offering. Don’t welcome them if you plan to reject them,” said Frost during a hearing on Jan. 17.
Frost, who described the Secure the Border Act as “bigoted,” argued that Republicans should also vote in favor of legislation to remove the Statue of Liberty from its display in the New York Harbor. The statue is near the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.
“I’ve taken the liberty of drafting it for you,” Frost said. “It removes the Statue of Liberty, our largest symbol that tells people to come here."
While he presented his bill, a member of Frost’s staff removed an image of the iconic statue from a pedestal behind the congressman.
“This is who you are, removing the fabric of America. So, I want to know which Republican, who supports and voted for H.R.2, will introduce this bill,” Frost continued. “If you’re gonna support H.R.2 and these bigoted measures, the least you can do is not be a damn liar.” Freshman Democrat Rep. Max Frost: Republicans might as well take down the Statue of Liberty if they're going to demand a secure border! 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6yAHno9n7l
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 17, 2024
He closed his statement by reading “The New Colossus” – the poem inscribed on a plaque on the statue’s pedestal in 1903.
Frost is the youngest member of the United States Congress at 27 years old and represents Florida’s 10th Congressional District. He is known for gun control activism with the American Civil Liberties Union and is the National Organizing Director of March for Our Lives.
Édouard de Laboulaye of France proposed gifting America a token to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence and the two nation’s diplomatic relationship in 1865. The Statue of Liberty was designed by sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and, after intense public fundraising, the statue was completed in July of 1884. President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on Oct. 28, 1886.
Although the statue is popularly thought of as a symbol of immigration to America, that was neither Bartholdi’s nor De Labouylaye’s intention.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Professor Reece Jones noted in an opinion piece for CNN in October of 2021 that the “transformation of the meaning of the Statue of Liberty illustrates how Americans often misremember our history.”
“The original purpose of the statue was to commemorate the end of slavery and the country’s centennial,” wrote Jones. “It had nothing to do with immigration.”
Jones also noted the gift’s installation did not coincide with a period without restrictions on immigration. He wrote:Even before the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, the United States had begun to close the door on non-White and poor immigrants. The country did not have any federal immigration restrictions until 1875, but many states set up their own limits. Massachusetts and New York implemented limits on poor and sick immigrants, Southern states banned the entry of free Blacks at their ports, and California set limits on the entry of the Chinese after the Gold Rush. The Supreme Court invalidated these state-level immigration laws in 1849 and again in 1875.
