For Immediate Release
January 19, 2018
Contact: info@undocublack.org, 443-300-6516
Washington, DC - Tonight, Republicans made history as the first political party to lead the country to shut down while in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.The partial shutdown will mean that the federal government will not be funded until Congress can come to a resolution on a variety of issues including CHIP, Disaster Relief and the DREAM Act.
“The basic function of Congress is to legislate on behalf of all their constituents, not based on their personal, misguided, racist views or those of their misaligned President. We now have a shutdown, how long it lasts is up to Republicans. It is important to note that during this time, ICE is still open, so the immigrant youth remain at risk for detention and deportation - this is urgent. Donald Trump does not want a deal on immigration despite him being the engineer of our current crisis - he killed DACA." - Patrice Lawrence, National Policy & Advocacy Director, UndocuBlack Network
“This Trump shutdown is another example of the colossal failure that Republican leadership is for this country. Their inability to keep the government funded and follow the lead of the American public in passing a clean Dream Act is disgraceful.”- Jonathan Jayes-Green, Co-Founder and Director, UndocuBlack Network
“I want to give a message to all undocumented people, especially undocumented youth and TPS holders: The Trump shut down solidifies just how they see people; they are not seeing people for their humanity, they are seeing people as pawns, for their contributions, for their assigned worth. We need to look at this for what it is. We need to keep up the pressure. But remember your worth is not in the value you provide to someone, it is not based on what you can contribute. You may feel compelled to want to prove your worthiness and deservingness. You are deserving and inherently worthy.” - Gabrielle Jackson, Mental Wellness Coordinator, UndocuBlack Network
Republicans and Democrats support the DREAM Act along with over 75% of the American public. We hope the members of Congress push through this chaos and bring to a vote a deal that is conscionable and honest, quickly. This means that family-based immigration system and diversity visas must be preserved. This means that Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure must be protected during these discussions. Do the right thing.
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