Sen. Sessions Scorns Principles and Laws He Would Be Charged with Enforcing as Attorney General

Jan 10, 2017

When President-elect Donald Trump nominated Sen. Jeff Sessions to oversee the Department of Justice, he took a major first step toward making good on his promise that his administration will target communities of color for criminalization and disenfranchisement.

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee will seek to determine whether Sessions is fit to serve as our nation’s next attorney general, but the senator’s record speaks for itself. His disdain for the very principles America was founded on is well documented. He has consistently demonstrated contempt for the diversity that makes America great. He has faithfully assaulted fundamental notions of fairness and equality under the law in both the courtroom and the Senate.

Throughout his career, Sessions has abused his power and used his position to manipulate the law and further a nativist agenda, directly targeting communities of color. As a senator, Sessions has repeatedly opposed legislation that would make our nation more equal and more just, including many policies that as attorney general he would be responsible for enforcing.

He has voted against proposed protections for some of our nation’s most vulnerable groups, including the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crime Act, which extended federal hate-crime protections to women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities—hate-crime protections that the Department of Justice now enforces.

He has consistently blocked legislation that would acknowledge and affirm the many benefits immigrants bring to our country. He strongly opposed allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for temporary work authorization and voted against the DREAM Act, which would have provided a way for immigrants who came to the United States as children to earn their citizenship. He also voted against the Senate’s recent bipartisan immigration reform bill, which would have given more protections to undocumented individuals already living in the country, most of whom have lived in our communities for over a decade.

The Justice Department has the responsibility to vigorously and vigilantly protect the rights and liberties of all Americans. But how can a man who has said that the NAACP and the ACLU were “communist-inspired” and “un-American” organizations “because they forced civil rights down the throats of people” lead the agency charged with upholding the very rights he has so consistently denigrated?

At a time when racial tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, and white supremacists feel emboldened by the election of Donald Trump, the country cannot afford to have an attorney general who has made a career of systematically marginalizing and disenfranchising African Americans, Muslims, immigrants, gays and lesbians, and women. He is simply the wrong choice.

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee must be resolute in holding Sessions accountable for statements he’s made and actions he’s taken that are indisputably discriminatory and racist. The committee must remember that it represents the interests and wellbeing of all Americans, including those caught in the crosshairs of the incoming administration.

The Latest
NILC Statement on Election of Donald Trump as President

NILC Statement on Election of Donald Trump as President

Nov 6, 2024 WASHINGTON — Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s election win:

Health Insurance Enrollment for DACA Recipients is Here!

Health Insurance Enrollment for DACA Recipients is Here!

Isobel Mohyeddin

Nov 1, 2024 In May 2024, the Biden-Harris administration made the major announcement that DACA recipients...

Major Benefit Programs Available to Immigrants in California (Table)

Major Benefit Programs Available to Immigrants in California (Table)

Nov 1, 2024 This table lists the programs for which certain immigrants residing in California are eligible. Originally published in May 2017.

Advocates Launch Awareness Campaign to Get Thousands of DACA Recipients Enrolled in ACA Health Coverage

Advocates Launch Awareness Campaign to Get Thousands of DACA Recipients Enrolled in ACA Health Coverage

Oct 30, 2024 The National Immigration Law Center (NILC), United We Dream (UWD), and Young Invincibles launched an online campaign to reach thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who will soon be eligible to purchase health...