CONGRESS: YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET

Overwhelmingly, Americans want Congress to protect young immigrants. It is an outrage Congress went home without a vote on DREAM Act.

Los Angeles — The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the largest immigrant rights organization in California, warned Congress the fight for passage of a clean DREAM Act will intensify in early January, 2018. Congress went home for the holidays on Thursday without approving the DREAM Act before year’s end.

The following are statements for Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director

“It is an outrage Congress did not pass the DREAM Act before going home for the holidays. The lack of moral fortitude on the part of Republicans and political fortitude on the part of some Democrats — especially in the Senate — has kept the DREAM Act, from moving forward. For now.

But the Congress has seen nothing yet. As the tide turns with an overwhelming majority of Americans and unprecedented bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, we are convinced we will prevail. Our community is emboldened and committed to the long fight ahead until Congress gets to work and approves bills that actually benefit the American people, not just big corporations.

We applaud the many Democrats in Congress who did the hard work and stood by immigrant families and we encourage them to remain strong. Shame on the White House and the GOP-led Congress that continues to insert poison pills to the DREAM Act as a way to kill it. If they had their way, they would protect the children and at the same time deport the parents and curtail programs allowing legal migration to the U.S.

Every day that passes without a DREAM Act, 122 young immigrants who contribute to our nation’s economy are thrown under the bus by an Administration that promised dreamers would be taken care of. The choice President Trump and Congress made to go home to their families for the holidays, without addressing a multitude of issues, including the impending crisis of one million families fearing deportation, is nothing short of disgraceful.

We will see you in January.”

Media Contact

Name: Jorge-Mario Cabrera
Title: Communications Director
Phone: (562) 243–5559
Email address: jmcabrera@chirla.org