WASHINGTON — The results of a new poll released today by the National Immigration Law Center show overwhelming support for Congress to reach a bipartisan compromise that would protect immigrant youth and fund cost-effective border security measures using advanced technology rather than a physical wall. Importantly, the poll indicates that a majority of voters favor an immigration system based on family reunification and one that continues to welcome people from countries experiencing hardships.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress has failed to approve any measure to keep the federal government funded and running past Friday, initiating a partial shutdown. This is the first time in modern history that the federal government could shut down while one party has majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the White House.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 28, 2017
CONTACT
Email: gastelum@nilc-ijf.org
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
WASHINGTON — Hours before Republican and Democratic congressional leaders were to meet with the White House on Tuesday to discuss legislative priorities for the remainder of the year, Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA) announced they would not attend the meeting.
The statement came after President Donald Trump tweeted earlier in the day that he does not see a deal happening. Elected representatives have until December 8 to approve a budget in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund, issued the following statement:
“Following President Trump’s sideshow this morning, we commend Congresswoman Pelosi and Senator Schumer for opting out of political games and demonstrating that they are serious about arriving at real solutions to our country’s most pressing issues. With the futures of nearly 800,000 young immigrants and their families at stake, we urge them to continue to push for what’s right: to pass the Dream Act before the end of the year. Time is of the essence, and lives are at stake.
“Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House. It is in their hands to keep the government funded and running, and to pass legislation that meets our country’s needs. We hope they will put country above party. It is time Republicans put politics aside and work with Democrats to pass a bill that keeps the government running and addresses the crisis that President Trump created when he ended the DACA program.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2017
CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149, gastelum@nilc-ijf.org
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Judiciary Committee is considering a slew of bills today that, if enacted, would militarize our borders, encourage civil rights abuses through massive expansion of a deportation force, and strip local law enforcement of the ability to enact policies that keep their communities safer and that uphold federal law and the Constitution. Below is a statement from Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director of the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund:
“President Trump’s mass deportation agenda has proven to be inhumane, fiscally reckless, and unconstitutional. Today, House Republicans are embracing that agenda by moving forward legislation that doubles down on Trump’s promises to arrest, jail, and banish immigrant families. In rubberstamping Trump’s deportation wish list, House Republicans are proposing to spend billions more in taxpayer dollars and expand unchecked and abusive authority of federal immigration officials in our backyards.
“Our country needs sound policies that invest in schools, roads, and better access to affordable health care. Immigrants are an inextricable part of our families, communities, and economy. Any legislator who supports these bills is fully complicit in Trump’s mass deportation campaign and each will be held just as accountable as Trump for these failed policies that violate our Constitution, break our budget, and shatter our communities.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2017
CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, gastelum@nilc-ijf.org, 213-375-3149
WASHINGTON — Today President Trump released his proposal for next year’s federal spending. The proposed budget cuts more than $1 trillion in spending for vital social programs such as Medicaid and Meals on Wheels and invests $2.6 billion in additional immigration enforcement, including funds for detention, deportation, and the construction of Trump’s border wall.
Kamal Essaheb, director of policy and advocacy for the National Immigration Law Center Immigrant Justice Fund, released the following statement:
“President Trump’s budget proposal is a clear attack on America’s working families and most vulnerable residents. The proposal released today provides a blueprint for the destruction of policies and programs millions of Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, rely on to survive hard times and keep the American Dream alive.
“Without Medicaid, Meals on Wheels, and programs to aid people with disabilities, millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to even the most basic living standards. Instead of letting the rich get richer as a result of more tax cuts, while throwing working families into a devastating tailspin, we should enact stronger policies to create jobs, raise wages, invest in education, and give people a chance at a better future.
“How Trump and the Republican Party intend to spend the savings made from cutting these crucial programs is just as disturbing. An additional $2.6 billion dedicated to the already out-of-control deportation force will only further divide our communities, sowing fear and ripping more families apart. The consequences of today’s deportation force unleashed under this administration are already horrifying. To provide ICE and Border Patrol with more resources is to give them a gold star for abuse of power and acting with impunity.
“As Trump’s proposal now heads to Congress, we are putting Democrats on notice: To sign off on even one more penny for immigration detention, ICE and Border Patrol agents, or the wall not only makes you complicit in this force, but makes clear your full endorsement of it. As the Republican Party continues to blindly follow Trump’s reckless lead in lockstep, executing some of the most ill-conceived, destructive policies this country has ever seen, Democrats must continue to resist and not waver in their resolve to defeat this agenda.”
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