Urges Congress to Reduce Funding for Mass Deportations and Detention
SAN FRANCISCO ― The White House budget released today includes a significant increase in immigration deportation funding while drastically cutting domestic programs that support growth and provide a safety net to millions of Americans. The budget includes an additional $4.4 billion in unnecessary funding for border security in fiscal year 2018 to the Department of Homeland Security to grow its mass deportation force by hiring new agents, increase immigrant detention beds, and begin construction of the border wall. The budget proposes hiring 70 new immigration enforcement prosecutors at the Department of Justice to prosecute people for immigration-related offenses. Immigration prosecutions already comprise 52 percent of all federal prosecutions—more than prosecutions for drugs, weapons, fraud and other violations combined. Additionally, the White House seeks to go after Sanctuary Cities by changing legislative language, which should only be done through proper legislative channels.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, issues the following statement:
“The White House budget would cut trillions in investments for families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and a harmful mass deportation agenda to tear countless families apart and create terror in communities across the United States. Our immigration enforcement and mass incarceration system is rampant with abuse. Funding should be used to reform broken systems instead of increasing monies for incarceration and immigration enforcement activities that operate with no checks and balances.
It is the stated goal of the current president of the United States to deport millions of immigrants. This administration has eliminated virtually all discretion from the system, with no room for consideration of personal factors, such as length of time living in the U.S. or family and other ties to their communities.
The Attorney General seeks to criminalize and demonize many more immigrants for seeking a better life for their families. In addition to targeting undocumented immigrants, this administration is against the resettling of refugees and for lowering overall levels of legal immigration to the United States.
We find this budget shameful and urge Congress not to give in to the administration’s fear-mongering and propaganda on immigration. Congress should drastically reduce funding for this heartless, anti-immigrant and xenophobic agenda that preys on those most vulnerable in our society. We oppose rounding up and deporting millions of immigrants who make important contributions to their families, their communities, and our society. Rather than separating families through mass deportation efforts, the U.S. government should spend more money investing in families, communities and economic security.”
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice – AAJC (Washington, D.C.), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.