Administration Must Stop Catering to Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
(Washington)—Before President Biden took the oath of office and every year since his term began, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has encouraged him to be bold in his policies on immigration. Instead, the administration has chosen to cater to anti-immigrant rhetoric by supporting legislation and according to recent news reports, planning to issue executive actions that will hurt millions of immigrants.
“Critical action is needed NOW. President Biden must be the leader he promised to be to immigrant communities and enact solutions that uphold the dignity of all immigrants,” said ILRC Policy Director Sameera Hafiz. “The Biden administration has shown it prefers to trot out the previous administration’s hateful policies to deflect criticism and score political points. This is not what immigrant families deserve.”
Today, the ILRC is unveiling Critical Action Needed: Calling for Presidential Leadership on Immigrant Justice that once again lays out clear solutions that the administration can and must act on before his term ends. This report details critical actions ensuring immigration benefits are equitable and accessible for low-income immigrants of color and ending immigration arrests, immigration detentions and deportations.
Among the critical actions are:
- Ending social media vetting and extraneous data collection;
- Broadly interpreting prosecutorial discretion;
- Cutting detention center contracts to begin the process of ending immigration detention entirely;
- Including immigrants in all criminal legal system reforms; and,
- Ending partnerships with jurisdictions with anti-immigrant laws and policies and ending the Department’s cooperation with Operation Lone Star in Texas.
“Because the Biden administration failed to enact bold policy solutions and stand up in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric, we have seen xenophobic politicians enforce extremely hateful policies, especially in Texas,” Hafiz said. “If the administration continues to stay silent in the face of these state-led efforts and answer criticism with refurbished Trump immigration policies, it will make it all but impossible for immigrants seeking to escape violence, poverty and war to find refuge in the U.S.”
“President Biden must reconsider actions he has taken – and that he is reportedly considering – to curtail asylum access for those seeking protection and meet the challenge of increased global migration with compassionate solutions, working hand in hand with impacted communities,” Hafiz said. “His leadership on immigrant and racial justice is needed now more than ever.”
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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 works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. Follow us at www.ilrc.org, and on Twitter and Instagram @the_ILRC