22 DEC 2022

Immigration Hub’s Kerri Talbot: Congress Should Support Commonsense Immigration Policies Instead of Stephen Miller Redux

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Senate voted down two anti-immigrant amendments offered by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Senators Krysten Sinema (I-AZ) that would have had disastrous consequences for our nation’s immigration system. The two anti-immigrant amendments would have required the reinstatement of the mass expulsions asylum ban policy (Title 42) and created further mismanagement of the southern border. The Sinema-Tester amendment would have nearly doubled the harmful immigration detention system with historically unprecedented funding levels. 

The Immigration Hub’s Deputy Director, Kerri Talbot, issued the following statement:

“Yesterday evening, Congress heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reminding us all the importance of America’s role in welcoming those who seek refuge or safety from war, violence, dictatorships and harm. Today, Senators Lee, Sinema and Tester are attempting to undermine our asylum system and fund chaos at the border, putting countless lives at risk while wasting taxpayer dollars to separate families and cruelly detain families and children. No Democrat should vote for these amendments that would return us to Trump and Stephen Miller era policies. 

“We applauded Senator Sinema’s and Senator Tillis’ efforts to reach a bipartisan deal on the Dream Act and border security provisions. We urge all Democrats and Republicans to return to a commonsense approach that creates legal pathways to citizenship and protects Dreamers, farmworkers and Temporary Protected Status holders while ensuring we have the resources at the border that are required to safely and humanely process asylum seekers. 

“Democrats and Republicans should be supporting policies that would not just ensure order, safety and humanitarian assistance at the border, but also invest in a functional immigration system.”

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.