White House Immigration Principles Put Children and Families at Risk

From CLASP (http://www.clasp.org/):

On Sunday, October 8, the Trump Administration unveiled its principles for reform of the U.S. immigration system. The long list includes policy proposals that would further ramp up immigration enforcement, severely cut overall immigration, and penalize localities that choose to limit collaboration with federal immigration authorities. The principles also seek to significantly roll back critical protections for vulnerable asylum-seeking children and drastically cut the number of refugees. The release of these principles comes just over a month after the Trump Administration’s heartless decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and uproot the lives of over 800,000 immigrant youth and young adults, about a quarter of whom are parents.

In response, Olivia Golden, executive director of CLASP, made the following statement:

“President Trump’s immigration principles not only fail to deliver a path forward, but also represent an affront to our nation’s proud immigration history. Over the past year CLASP has condemned the administration’s racist and extremist attacks on immigrants across the country. From ramped-up immigration enforcement that is tearing families apart to policy proposals that threaten to deny vulnerable children the most fundamental protections, this administration is clearly headed in the wrong direction.

“We urge Congress to heed the overwhelming bipartisan support for the Dream Act and act urgently to pass it. Addressing the immediate threat facing DACA youth should not be contingent on harmful proposals that undermine our nation’s values and put children and families at risk. We are committed to continuing to work with our partners in the anti-poverty community to advocate for passage of a clean Dream Act and to fight back against misguided proposals that seek to undermine the safety and vitality of immigrant and refugee families.”

• Read CLASP’s statement in support of the Dream Act of 2017.
• Read CLASP’s analysis of the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement orders.
• Read Olivia Golden’s commentary on protections for unaccompanied children.
• Read CLASP’s statement in opposition to the RAISE Act.