For Immediate Release: February 16, 2018
Contact: Jareyah Bradley, jareyah@balestramedia.com, 908.242.4822
Immigrant Legal Resource Center Will Continue to Fight Alongside Dreamers Despite Senate Inaction
After days of debate on immigration this week, the Senate failed to advance legislation to protect immigrant youth whose lives were pummeled into chaos after President Trump callously rescinded DACA last year. The proposals brought forth by Republicans, acting on behalf of their leader - Trump - outraged immigration activists, including the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC). These proposals used immigrant youth as a bargaining chip for a white supremacist wish list including eliminating the diversity visa program which would disproportionately impact black immigration to the US; curtailing family immigration which would have a disparate impact on the immigration of women and also Asian families to the US; erecting a wall to further militarize our border communities; and magnifying the impact of immigration enforcement upon Dreamers, activists, mothers and other immigrants.
Said Sameera Hafiz, senior policy strategist at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:
“The Senate’s inaction on immigration is a heartbreaking setback but we will continue to fight for immigrant justice alongside Dreamers. Despite the fact that no bill was advanced, the Senate sent a clear message that Trump’s nativist vision for immigration policy will not be blessed by legislation. The Senate also rejected the unfounded and cruel attacks on sanctuary cities, which are hundreds of jurisdictions around the country that have chosen to promote Constitutional policing and build confidence between immigrant communities and law enforcement instead of advancing Trump’s racist and exclusionary political agenda.”
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC’s mission is to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. www.ilrc.org