Category Archives: March 2019

NILC Statement on Yearlong Extension of DED Protections for Liberians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2019

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-805-0375

NILC Statement on Yearlong Extension of DED Protections for Liberians

WASHINGTON — The White House today extended deferred enforced departure (DED) protections for Liberians for 12 more months, through March 30, 2020. The announcement comes just days before DED protections for Liberians were set to expire on March 31, 2019.

Avideh Moussavian, legislative director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Trump administration’s decision to extend DED protections for Liberians is the right thing to do and a testament to the organizing efforts of many Liberians and other members of our communities who are fighting to secure their futures in the U.S. — their home.

“Twelve additional months of DED protections is welcome relief for thousands of families who were days away from losing deportation protections and the ability to continue fully contributing to their communities. However, temporary relief is not enough. Congress must act urgently on a permanent solution for people with DED and other immigrant communities whose futures the Trump administration has thrown into limbo.

“The Dream and Promise Act, H.R. 6, would provide a long overdue pathway to U.S. citizenship for people with DED, TPS, and immigrant youth. Similar bipartisan legislation was also introduced in the Senate this week. Congress must prioritize passing these bills as a first step toward inclusive solutions on immigration that benefit all of us in the long term.”

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Senators Take Important Step to Protect Immigrant Youth and People with TPS or DED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2019

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Senators Take Important Step to Protect Immigrant Youth and People with TPS or DED

WASHINGTON — Two bills introduced in the U.S. Senate today would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for certain immigrants whose futures in the U.S., the country they call home, have been thrown into uncertainty by President Trump. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reintroduced the bipartisan Dream Act, legislation that would provide permanent protections for eligible immigrant youth, as the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remains unclear. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced an updated version of the SECURE Act, which would similarly protect people with temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED). DED protections for Liberians are set to expire on March 31, 2019.

Today’s Senate bill introductions follow the introduction of the Dream and Promise Act, H.R. 6, two weeks ago in the House of Representatives. The Dream and Promise Act is the first standalone bill to address, simultaneously, the fate of immigrant youth and people with TPS or DED. The bill currently has more than 218 cosponsors.

Avideh Moussavian, legislative director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The introductions of the Dream Act and the SECURE Act in the Senate are critical steps in the right direction. For senators to introduce the two bills on the same day underscores the need for a refreshed legislative approach that considers, as a first step, the fate of longstanding members of our communities whose need for permanent protections is far overdue.

“The fate of the millions of immigrant youth and people with TPS or DED has become only more urgent since their lives were thrown into uncertainty by the Trump administration’s racist and xenophobic efforts to criminalize, detain, and deport as many people in our communities as possible. Congress needs to act urgently to resolve the untenable status quo created by Trump, with an eye toward inclusivity and what will benefit all of us in the long term.”

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Today’s Violence in New Zealand a Horrific Example of the Consequences of Islamophobia and White Supremacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2019

CONTACT
Hayley Burgess, [email protected], 202-805-0375

Today’s Violence in New Zealand a Horrific Example of the Consequences of Islamophobia and White Supremacy

LOS ANGELES — At least 49 Muslim worshippers were killed this morning in an act of mass violence perpetrated by a white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attack has been condemned by domestic and global leaders.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Our hearts ache for the friends and families of the victims, and for the global Muslim community. The Muslim community in New Zealand was attacked in what should be a safe place for all: the sanctuary of a religious space. This act of mass violence, rooted in Islamophobia and xenophobia, has been rightly condemned by many global leaders. Sadly, some of our own domestic leaders have fanned the flames of Islamophobia and white supremacy for far too long and in ways that are replicated across the globe.

“The fear and hatred espoused by domestic and foreign policymakers has direct and devastating consequences. We have already seen far too many examples of violent white supremacists who have felt empowered to carry out heinous attacks because of hateful and xenophobic rhetoric from those in power. These attacks have occurred in other places of worship, like the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and at peaceful gatherings like the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, as we mourn this tragic loss, we must remember that we all — especially leaders in positions of power — have a moral obligation to stand with our neighbors and reject Islamophobia and white supremacy in any form.

“In times of such heartbreaking tragedy, we must come together with even more strength and determination. We must denounce white nationalism and supremacy in all its forms. No one should fear for their safety when attending their house of worship or simply because of the way they look or how they pray. We at NILC stand in solidarity with our Muslim allies, and we will continue to fight tirelessly for dignity for all.”

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Senate Rebukes Trump’s Attempts to Subvert Congress to Fund Border Wall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2019

CONTACT
[email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-805-0375

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Attempts to Subvert Congress to Fund Border Wall

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate today passed a resolution to reverse President Trump’s February national emergency declaration. Trump declared an emergency at the southern border last month, while simultaneously admitting it was unnecessary, to divert billions of taxpayer dollars for a southern border wall. Congress has repeatedly refused Trump’s budget requests for the unpopular, wasteful, and hate-driven project.

The president has said that he will use his first veto to override the resolution, which passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 26.

Avideh Moussavian, legislative director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Senate vote today is yet another clear rebuke of Trump’s demands for a border wall, once again signaling to the president that he cannot steal billions of taxpayer dollars to fund his xenophobic political stunt. Trump put in jeopardy the well-being of hundreds of thousands of workers and the American public when he instigated the longest government shutdown in the country’s history for the sake of his wall. When he still didn’t get a blank check for his racist monument, he declared a made-up national emergency so he could steal taxpayer dollars, ignoring the authority of Congress as a coequal branch of our government. This is a reckless way to run the country, threatens the stability of our democracy, and puts countless lives and communities, and our environment, at risk.

“Trump has made it clear that he will stop at nothing to advance his cruel vision of a border wall, refusing to listen to voters, Congress, or the communities that will suffer as a result. He has a responsibility to heed the will of the American people and not use his veto authority to pave the way for this unconstitutional power grab.”

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Congress Must Prioritize Passing the Dream and Promise Act, Protect as Many People as Possible

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2019

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Congress Must Prioritize Passing the Dream and Promise Act, Protect as Many People as Possible

WASHINGTON — House Democrats led by Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) today announced the introduction of the Dream and Promise Act. The bill would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for certain immigrants whose futures in the U.S., the country they call home, have been thrown into uncertainty by the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and not to extend temporary protected status (TPS) and deferred enforcement departure (DED) for individuals from certain countries. This is the first standalone bill to address, simultaneously, the fate of immigrant youth and people with TPS or DED.

Diana Pliego, a policy associate at the National Immigration Law Center and a DACA recipient, issued the following statement:

“The Dream and Promise Act is a critical and welcome step toward allowing long-standing community members like me the stability and opportunity to more fully thrive in the country we know as home. The National Immigration Law Center has worked in support of such legislation for decades. Today we stand with many of our partners to support the Dream and Promise Act.

“This legislation would put eligible immigrant youth and people with TPS or DED — people long in need of permanent protections and made more vulnerable by the Trump administration’s cruel decision to throw their lives into limbo — on an urgently needed pathway to U.S. citizenship. After several failed cycles of Congress tethering “Dreamer” protections to the White House’s demands for harmful, hate-filled policies, the Dream and Promise Act rejects Trump’s extortionist tactics and takes a far better approach: ending the untenable status quo with an eye toward inclusivity and what will benefit all of us in the long term.

“We are grateful to Reps. Roybal-Allard, Velázquez, and Clarke for their leadership, and we urge Congress to prioritize passing the Dream and Promise Act, while also ensuring it remains a strong bill that will help as many people as possible.”

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