In a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Maxwell Frost, a freshman Democrat from Florida, faced criticism and mockery on social media for suggesting that Republicans should pass a bill to remove the Statue of Liberty along with their "bigoted" immigration law.

The hearing focused on H.R.2, the House GOP's Secure the Border Act, a comprehensive border security and immigration bill that was passed in May. The legislation aims to restrict the asylum process for individuals crossing the border and calls for the resumption of construction on the border wall.

Rep. Frost, along with many other Democrats, strongly opposed the bill. However, he went a step further and presented a mock bill to remove the Statue of Liberty, calling on Republicans to pass it as well. Holding up the draft, he stated, "It removes the Statue of Liberty, our largest symbol that tells people to come here."

His remarks drew widespread criticism on social media for seemingly conflating immigration reform with the symbolic significance of the Statue of Liberty. Critics, including writers and contributors from outlets such as The Telegraph and Fox News, called Frost's proposal "ridiculous" and "stupid." Some also pointed out that the desire to remove statues was more common among Democrats than Republicans.

The reference to the Statue of Liberty as a representation of immigration laws has been a subject of ridicule by conservatives in the past. During the Trump administration, questions were raised about how the president's immigration policies aligned with the statue's message.

Notably, despite Frost's strong words against Republicans, it is worth mentioning that 14 Democratic lawmakers joined their GOP counterparts in voting to condemn President Biden's border policies. These Democratic representatives include Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Jared Moskowitz of Florida.

As the controversy continues to unfold, Rep. Frost's proposal and his attempt to use the Statue of Liberty as a symbolic argument against the GOP's immigration bill have sparked debate on the role of iconic monuments in political discussions and the broader immigration discourse.