Author Archives: Richard Irwin

The Bipartisan Dream Act Is a “Bill of Love”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2018

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

The Bipartisan Dream Act Is a “Bill of Love”

WASHINGTON — President Trump today met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss immigration. At the meeting, which was broadcast on national television, Trump appeared to endorse a narrow legislative deal to provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for immigrant youth, which he called a “bill of love.”

Trump created a crisis in September when he ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, upending the lives of nearly 800,000 young people covered by the program. Every day, an estimated 122 DACA recipients lose their eligibility to work in the U.S. and become vulnerable to detention and deportation.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“We need a real solution for Dreamers now — one that doesn’t use them as pawns to enact an extremist anti-immigrant agenda. With more than 15,000 DACA recipients having already lost their protections and many more facing an uncertain future, we hope that today’s meeting wasn’t a wasted day for Congress and the White House.

“Dreamers don’t need photo ops and empty words — they need lawmakers to do their jobs. If Trump is serious about signing a “bill of love,” the bipartisan Dream Act would resolve this crisis once and for all, without harming anybody.”

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“The Fosters” Season Premiere Shows How You Can Support Immigrant Families

THE TORCH: CONTENTSBy Alvaro M. Huerta, NILC staff attorney
January 9, 2018

Tonight’s season premiere episode, “Sanctuary,” of “The Fosters” on the Freeform channel touches on some important topics related to how our country’s immigration system continues to rip families apart.

In last season’s finale, Callie and AJ helped their friend Ximena seek sanctuary in a church when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came looking for Ximena because she had spoken out at a rally and disclosed that she’s undocumented. Ximena was previously granted protection from deportation through a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which President Obama’s administration initiated in 2012.

DACA allowed young immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to get temporary protection from deportation and eligibility to work in the U.S. To maintain these benefits, DACA recipients had to apply to renew it every two years. Ximena didn’t renew her DACA because she was afraid of getting her family in trouble with ICE, so her protection under DACA had ended and, although she did eventually apply to renew it, the renewal still had not been approved at the time ICE came to arrest her.

What’s happened to Ximena in “The Fosters” happens to thousands of immigrant youth every day. In fact, Ximena’s story mirrors that of a young woman named Daniela “Dany” Vargas, whose DACA status had also lapsed and who was detained by ICE and placed in deportation proceedings just minutes after participating in a rally to protest immigration raids.

The Trump administration terminated the DACA program this past September. A fraction of the nearly 800,000 young people with DACA were allowed to apply to renew it during a short, one-month window. While some were able to renew their DACA in that time, at least 1,900 people had their applications wrongly rejected due to problems with the mail. Others had applications rejected because of small clerical-type errors, or because they couldn’t pull together enough funds in such a short amount of time to pay the nearly $500 renewal application fee. To date, over 15,000 people have lost their DACA status and, with it, their temporary protection from deportation and their ability to provide from themselves and their families.

Back on “The Fosters,” Ximena finds sanctuary in a local church. Many religious institutions have bravely decided to stand up against the harsh deportation system. They are supporting their communities’ immigrant members by providing sanctuary and connecting immigrant families at risk of deportation with local immigration attorneys and immigrants’ rights organizations. Under most circumstances, ICE may not enter private spaces, including a church or someone’s home, without a valid search warrant signed by a judge.

But not all undocumented immigrants are able to find sanctuary. That’s why it’s important to know what your rights are and what to do if ICE comes looking for you or your family. Ximena had a plan. She knew to check in right away with family members and to reach out to her family’s immigration attorney, whose telephone number she had memorized. You can also locate a family member who’s been detained by searching online, and you can connect with a local nonprofit immigrants’ rights organization to get support. If you witness an immigration raid or see someone being detained by ICE, you can record ICE’s or the police’s actions, but do so from a safe distance and without getting in the way of the officers.

Fortunately, there is a solution for people such as Ximena and her family. Congress has an opportunity to pass the Dream Act, a bill that would grant legal status to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and for whom this country is the only home they’ve ever known. Congress is currently negotiating with the White House on what will be included in the Dream Act, and the goal is to see the bill become law soon. But we need to let Congress know that we demand the Dream Act so that families like Ximena’s won’t be torn apart!

It’s important to raise the visibility of immigrants caught up by the deportation system. Using social media like Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube is one way to get the word out about the Dream Act and people like Ximena who are as American as anyone else. We cannot stand by while thousands of children are separated from their parents. People rallied outside of the church where Ximena took refuge and shamed ICE into leaving. We need to make immigrants’ stories even more visible!

Callie and AJ stepped in to help Ximena when she was in need, and the Fosters were there when Callie needed them most. It’s important to have a support network when you and your family are caught up in the broken immigration system. The Fosters stepped up for Ximena. Let’s all step up for our immigrant friends and family by making sure that Congress passes the Dream Act now!

Reported New Bipartisan Bill Underscores Momentum, Progress Toward a Solution for Immigrant Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2018

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Reported New Bipartisan Bill Underscores Momentum, Progress Toward a Solution for Immigrant Youth

WASHINGTON — News media today reported that Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) will soon introduce a new bipartisan bill to provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for Dreamers. The bill will reportedly couple relief for immigrant youth who arrived in the U.S. as minors with some border and other enforcement provisions. It aims to be “as narrow as possible,” Hurd told CNN.

The Trump administration created a crisis in September when officials ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, upending the lives of nearly 800,000 young people covered by the program. Every day an estimated 122 DACA recipients lose their eligibility to work and drive in the U.S., and become vulnerable to detention and deportation. More than 15,000 immigrant youth have already lost DACA protections.

The new bipartisan bill would be the latest of several legislative proposals, including the bipartisan Dream Act, under consideration by Congress as a means of enacting a permanent solution for immigrant youth.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“We have been clear all along that the Trump-created DACA crisis requires a swift and clean legislative fix. The lives of immigrant youth are not a bargaining chip to further President Trump’s wish list of an anti-immigrant agenda. However, we are encouraged to see continued bipartisan support for immigrant youth and potential progress toward a solution that would finally allow them a sense of security in this country, which is their home. Congress must continue moving in a positive direction. It must past the Dream Act now, without harming communities.”

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Statement on Trump’s Border Militarization Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2018

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Statement on Trump’s Border Militarization Proposal

WASHINGTON — President Trump today issued new demands to further militarize the U.S.-Mexico border, calling for $18 billion for an additional 700 miles of fencing, thousands of new Border Patrol agents, and increased immigration enforcement in the interior. Although the request for funding was made today, Senator Durbin (D-IL) pointed out that the proposal was, in fact, an old anti-immigrant wish list written by Stephen Miller, the architect of Muslim Ban 1.0 and a known crusader against DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Below is a statement from Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center:

“Is President Trump serious about making a deal to fix the DACA crisis he created? This proposal, written months ago by anti-immigrant zealot Stephen Miller (whom Steve Bannon reportedly described as “my typist”), is more of an effort to foil an immigration deal than to make one. It is more than a waste of money; it is a thinly veiled attack upon the 15 million residents of this thriving part of our country.

“Our nation’s border communities — like all communities — need strong investments in infrastructure, public health, and education, not more extremist, expensive, ineffective, and offensive border wall proposals. If it wasn’t already clear, this proposal should show everyone that Stephen Miller and his cronies aren’t interested in moving our nation forward on enacting sensible policies; they’re simply using every opportunity they get to advance their extremist white nationalist agenda.”

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Statement on Budget Meeting Between White House, Congressional Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2018

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

NILC Statement on Wednesday Budget Meeting Between White House, Congressional Leadership

WASHINGTON — Following a meeting today between White House officials and congressional leadership to discuss budget negotiations, Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Trump administration created a worsening crisis when it abruptly terminated the DACA program, devastating immigrant youth and their families. The administration is now holding hostage a fix for immigrant youth as it continues its pursuit of a Bannonesque, anti-immigrant agenda.

“The truth is that the American people have been clear: They want the Dream Act now. We will not be deterred or distracted by disingenuous statements clearly intended to derail the progress made toward arriving at a solution. And we will hold both parties accountable if they continue to delay.”

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New York Dreamers Formally Ask Federal Court to Reinstate DACA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2017

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, National Immigration Law Center, [email protected], 213-375-3149
Daniel Altschuler, Make the Road New York, [email protected], 917-494-5922

New York Dreamers Formally Ask Federal Court to Reinstate DACA

BROOKLYN, NY — A group of “Dreamers” and their attorneys today formally asked a federal court in Brooklyn to block the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The motion for a preliminary injunction, if granted, would reinstate the program, allowing hundreds of thousands of immigrant young people currently covered by or eligible for DACA to continue applying for its protections.

“The heartless decision to end DACA has already uprooted thousands of people’s lives and caused immeasurable harm,” said Trudy Rebert, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. “We are asking the court to correct this unlawful and reckless decision and to provide necessary relief. Ultimately, this crisis needs a permanent fix, and only Congress can deliver that by passing the Dream Act.”

Established in 2012, DACA allows eligible immigrant youth to apply for protection for deportation and work permits in two-year increments. On Sept. 5, the Trump administration announced that it would abruptly end the program.

Batalla Vidal v. Duke, the first lawsuit filed challenging the termination of DACA, is brought by six New York “Dreamers”—Martín Batalla Vidal, Antonio Alarcon, Eliana Fernandez, Carolina Fung Feng, Mariano Mondragon, and Carlos Vargas—and Make the Road New York. They are represented by the National Immigration Law Center, Make the Road New York, and the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in Brooklyn, alleges that the termination of DACA violated administrative law, equal protection, and due process guarantees enshrined in the Constitution. The motion filed today points to the imminent irreparable harm caused by the administration’s decision and asks the court to provide immediate relief by reversing the administration’s actions. Attorneys are also seeking to certify a class that would include all individuals who have or are eligible for DACA.

Antonio Alarcon, DACA recipient and youth organizer with Make the Road New York and a plaintiff in the case, said: “Trump’s heartless decision to end DACA has caused great harm to me and my family by putting my future in jeopardy. We’re filing for a preliminary injunction because what he did was not just wrong—it was illegal. And it’s already hurting thousands of Dreamers around the country who have lost protection. At the same time, we know that the real solution to the crisis Trump has caused is to pass the clean Dream Act before Christmas, and we’re going to fight every day to make sure that happens.”

Every day, an estimated 122 immigrant youth lose DACA protections, including their ability to work and contribute fully to their communities. More than 12,000 young people have lost DACA protections since Sept. 5.

One of the DACA recipients mentioned in the filing, Gustavo Galicia, 30, has lived in California since he was two years old. As an adult, he was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. Galicia had to receive regular dialysis treatments for a decade until he got a kidney transplant earlier this year. Despite his precarious health condition, he has worked at the California Employment Development Department to help support his family, while he also took college classes. Losing his DACA would mean losing his job and his health insurance. He could face severe health consequences if he does not find an alternative way to pay for his medical costs. “If I lose my DACA in August, I would have to stop school again and focus on staying alive,” Galicia says in his declaration to the court.

A hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction and class certification in the Brooklyn court is set for January 18, 2018.

The Memorandum of Law in Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction is available at www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Batalla-Vidal-v-Nielsen-motion-for-prelim-injunct-2017-12-15.pdf.

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Congress Has Two Weeks to Pass the Dream Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Congress Has Two Weeks to Pass the Dream Act

WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders reported they had a good meeting today at the White House, and the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate also approved a short-term spending bill early this evening.

In response to these developments, Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Leaders in both parties should recognize two things: Our country needs to address the situation facing Dreamers urgently, and the solution is both simple and politically popular across party lines. It’s now time for our country’s leadership to do its job.

“The time to fight for the Dream Act is now. The government has two more weeks to come up with a solution for immigrant youth, and we will use every remaining moment to fight for our friends, families, and coworkers.

“While some lawmakers continue disingenuously to say that we have months to resolve this crisis, thousands of young people have already lost their ability to live and work without fear of being deported. One of those people, Maria Rivas, from New York, submitted a renewal application that was rejected because someone misread her check as being filed in 2012, rather than 2017. Maria and thousands of people like her can’t wait.

“Congress has an opportunity to do something good for our nation. They should take it. We need a Dream Act now.”

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NILC Responds to Introduction of SECURE Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

NILC Responds to Introduction of SECURE Act

WASHINGTON — A group of Republican immigration hardliners in the Senate today introduced a bill to address the crisis created by the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The bill would provide inadequate and temporary relief for some immigrant young people, commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” in exchange for sweeping border enforcement measures. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) are cosponsors.

The introduction of the Senate bill, titled SECURE Act, comes on the same day that 34 Republicans in the House of Representatives urged House Speaker Paul Ryan to act now to pass a permanent legislative fix.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Over months, immigrant youth, their communities, advocates, and supporters from all sectors of life and from all around the country have engaged in serious conversation with lawmakers who recognize the need for an urgent and permanent fix for Dreamers. The so-called SECURE Act is lightyears behind and completely out of touch with the progress made in these good-faith efforts. Simply put, this is not a serious attempt at solving the DACA crisis. The bill dedicates a grand total of 14 pages, out of 526, to issues regarding DACA. The rest reads like a nativist wish list.

“To date, more than 11,000 immigrant young people have lost permission to work and contribute fully to their communities since President Trump ended DACA in September. Until Congress acts, an estimated 122 more will lose DACA protections each day. With thousands of people’s lives hanging in the balance, we don’t have time to waste on proposals that only move the conversation backward.”

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NILC Comment on Supreme Court Order on the Muslim Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

NILC Comment on Supreme Court Order on the Muslim Ban

WASHINGTON — This afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a stay of the injunctions in the Fourth and Ninth Circuit court cases against President Trump’s Muslim ban, allowing Muslim Ban 3.0 to take immediate effect.

The stay will impact travelers and others who previously were allowed to be reunited with loved ones. The order was silent on the merits of the claims in IRAP v. Trump or Hawaii v. Trump

Below is a statement from Karen Tumlin, legal director of the National Immigration Law Center:

“This Supreme Court order is a devastating blow for all of us who oppose the Muslim ban and confirms the fears of so many in the Muslim community. For families wishing to be reunited with loved ones or others, the instability and uncertainty they currently face when they travel will only be made worse by this order. Furthermore, it will embolden a president who has made blatantly Islamophobic statements and fanned the flames of discrimination and a white supremacist agenda one tweet at a time.

“All of us—regardless of where were were born or the way we pray—should be treated equally. Any form of the Muslim ban is an attack on the values we aspire to as a nation, and we will continue to stand with community leaders and all those affected to ensure that such hateful and divisive policies have no home here.”

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NILC Statement on Passage of Senate Tax Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

NILC Statement on Passage of Senate Tax Bill

WASHINGTON — Early this morning, Republicans in the U.S. Senate passed a massive tax overhaul, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, that will harm the majority of Americans and benefit corporations and the wealthy.

The Senate tax bill provides $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, to be paid for by low- and middle-income families and children, a large number of them immigrants. Among many harmful provisions, the bill eliminates the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for immigrant children. It also repeals the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) “individual mandate,” a key provision of the ACA that has made health insurance generally more affordable.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Today will be remembered as a shameful day in American history. In a cowardly move, Republican senators rushed to pass a tax bill that will cause a tremendous amount of pain for Americans from coast to coast, including many of President Trump’s supporters. Today’s children, workers, and students will be especially hard hit, as will future generations that will be stuck with the consequences of this fiscally irresponsible and morally indefensible measure. The Senate has essentially robbed tens of millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. For so many, this bill effectively hikes taxes on those who can least afford to lose more money and could make health care unaffordable for these same people.

“Immigrant families have been especially hard hit: the bill eliminates the Child Tax Credit for immigrant children, a move that is cruel and short-sighted. Republicans in the Senate have voted to harm immigrant children and families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.

“This bill, loaded with holiday treats for the rich and massive corporations and their insatiable greed, delivers nothing more than economic insecurity and greater income inequality for the rest of us. Our lawmakers should be working to make sure all our communities are healthy and thriving, not just the ultra-rich. The halls of Congress failed their constituents early this morning, and voters should not forget it.”

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