(Washington)--Members of Congress are continuing to fuel the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant efforts by championing federal funds aimed at ripping immigrant families apart through detention and deportation.
“The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) condemns the embracing of cruelty to fulfill the administration’s heinous deportation machine,” said ILRC Policy Director Sameera Hafiz. “Trump and members of Congress are sending clear signals to Americans that they are willing to yank essential funds for education, food, healthcare and other services that help working families to allow immigrant communities to be terrorized by raids, detention, and deportation.”
Members of Congress in the House and Senate are working on budget resolutions that would make dramatic cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and student loans so they can funnel billions of dollars toward mass deportations and increased border militarization. While these cuts will hurt working families, the administration’s uber wealthy friends and corporations would see their taxes cut. Private prison and surveillance technology companies will see skyrocketing profits - on the backs of everyday people in our country.
“Members of Congress want to use cuts to essential programs to give the Trump administration hundreds of billions of dollars to continue to militarize immigration enforcement in the United States, terrorizing communities,” Hafiz said. “In the Senate, the $350 billion earmarked for deportation and detention could instead fund healthcare, education, infrastructure, and programs that help families get ahead.”
“Imagine what could be done with the billions of dollars congress wants to use to fuel Trump’s deportation machine: millions of new homes could be built; programs that help children like Head Start would be better funded; and everyday expenses like the cost of groceries could be lowered,” Hafiz added. “Congress is following Texas’s anti-immigrant playbook. Texas has prioritized funneling billions to fund its hateful Operation Lone Star (OLS) targeting migrant communities since 2021 rather than use this money for essential services, harming all Texans.”
The ILRC, along with partners, are asking all members of Congress to vote against giving another penny toward Trump’s deportation machine and urges constituents to hold their representatives and senators accountable.
“The focus of all members of Congress should be on what is best for their constituents. Prioritizing hateful policies that rip immigrant families apart devastate and harm everyone,” Hafiz said. “The ILRC will continue to fight for all immigrant families regardless of their contact with the criminal legal system.”
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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