FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today, the Senate revealed legislative text of a bill that, if signed into law, would make several permanent changes to our immigration system. Below is a statement from Karen Tumlin, Founder and Director of Justice Action Center (JAC):
“Immigration is not just an issue or campaign tactic—it’s fundamentally about people and what they need and how we as a nation treat them. Those of us who have worked with asylum seekers know that our communities are enriched by their presence. The process by which this bill has come about puts politics over people. We’ve seen these tactics used before, and lived experience should teach us that the proposed border ‘deterrence’ measures are not only ineffective, but counterproductive to achieving the reforms and modernized processes we need. They will not stop people fleeing for their lives from seeking safety.
“While there is plenty to dislike in this proposal, it’s critical to note that in this bill, a bipartisan group of Senators is recognizing the validity of humanitarian parole programs like those we are protecting in court. This indicates what we already know: that the parole authority, including last year’s programs, has been used for more than 70 years and are absolutely in accordance with the statute and congressional intent.
“Real talk: our immigration system has not been updated in nearly 40 years, and our nation’s more than 40 million immigrants —and all of us, as their children, co-workers, and friends—deserve better than an attempt to use their identities as a sweetener for foreign funding. We continue to call upon Congress to do the real work of building an immigration system that upholds our values and needs.”
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S.
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