Rep. Brandon Gill said the United States must confront questions about cultural compatibility and immigration before future generations are forced to deal with consequences that he believes are already becoming visible in some communities across the country.
Gill made the remarks while discussing broader concerns about immigration, cultural integration, and the preservation of what he described as core American values. He argued that policymakers should recognize differences among cultures and consider how those differences interact with American institutions and traditions.
“The Trump administration, I believe, recognizes these basic truths that not all cultures are equal, and not all cultures are equally compatible with our way of life or our governing system,” Gill said.
Gill said the issue is not limited to developments overseas and warned that the United States faces its own challenges related to cultural change.
“But we’ve got a problem in the United States as well, and that’s something that we’re going to have to deal with now, because if we don’t, our children and our grandchildren are going to be dealing with it,” Gill said.
He pointed to changes he says are taking place in parts of Texas, specifically the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
“And you’ve seen what’s happened in the DFW metroplex, where you’ve seen mass Islamic migration transforming communities right here in places that you wouldn’t otherwise expect,” Gill said.
Gill argued that failing to address the issue now could lead to broader cultural changes in the future.
“And again, this is something that, if we don’t stop now, it’s going to be my daughter and daughters across the country who are going to be going to public schools wearing burkas, and that’s the kind of stuff that we want to stop,” Gill said.
According to Gill, conservatives should focus on preserving the values and institutions that shaped the country and the society they grew up in.
“We want to recognize that our job is to protect and preserve, conserve as conservatives. We should want to conserve the America that we got to grow up in,” Gill said.
Gill said he believes immigration policy should take into account cultural differences and whether incoming populations share similar views on fundamental civic principles.
“And you do not do that by bringing in cultures who have very different ideas about freedom of speech, religion, separation of church and state, the dignity of women, the role of women in public life,” Gill said.
He added that differing views on social and religious issues can have significant consequences for a society.
“Who have very different conceptions about how Muslims and non-Muslims interact, and those different ideas matter,” Gill said.
Gill argued that debates about immigration and assimilation are ultimately debates about the future character of the country and the values that will guide future generations.
Throughout his remarks, Gill emphasized the importance of protecting what he sees as foundational American principles, including free speech, religious liberty, the separation of church and state, and the role of women in public life. He said those principles should remain central considerations as the nation addresses immigration and cultural issues in the years ahead.
“And that this is a good example of that,” Gill said.
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