Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on two immigration bills this week under the premise of helping Dreamers, but a new CAP column finds that the Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) Securing America’s Future Act and Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Border Security and Immigration Reform Act will significantly slash protections for women and children.
The two bills make it harder for those seeking asylum to find protection in the United States and do nothing to fix the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which has separated nearly 2,500 children from their parents. To make matters worse, both bills contain identical language that attempts to roll back common-sense criteria designed to protect children in custody in order to allow for the prolonged detention of children with their parents.
“President Donald Trump could end this policy today if he wanted to, without any legislation,” said Philip E. Wolgin, managing director for Immigration Policy at CAP. “But just like with DACA, he is once again attempting to hold children as ransom to win a host of anti-immigrant legislative concessions.”
“Trump could protect individuals seeking safe haven in this country without family separation or family detention,” said Nicole Prchal Svajlenka, senior policy analyst for Immigration Policy at CAP. “If he lacks the heart to do so, it is up to every member of Congress to support legislation such as the Keep Families Together Act to bring an end to this cruel and immoral policy.
Read the analysis: “House Republicans’ Immigration Bills Would Hurt Women and Children” by Philip E. Wolgin and Nicole Prchal Svajlenka
For more information or to talk to an expert please contact Rafael Medina at [email protected] or 202-478-5313.