Archive for date: February 15th, 2018

WASHINGTON (Feb 15) — The following statement was released by Working Families United, a coalition that represents more than two million union workers, on today’s immigration vote in the U.S. Senate:

“The Senate had an opportunity today to help hardworking immigrant families gain stability and security. Instead, hardline Republicans voted against bipartisan proposals and doubled down on the racist Miller-Trump agenda. The American people reject this hateful agenda. Eighty-one percent want a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. The American people want their tax dollars to go to veterans, our schools, addressing the opioid crisis, and critical safety net programs. Voters reject paying for Trump’s wall by a two-to-one margin, according to the most recent national polling.

“This afternoon, a strong majority of the U.S. Senate made clear that cuts to legal immigration are a non-starter. Today showed the limitations of a partisan approach. Any bill that resembles the White House’s “four pillars” has no chance of passing; the Grassley amendment couldn’t even secure the support of all Republican Senators. We applaud the Senators and staff on both sides of the isle that worked to find a bipartisan solution.”

“Trump broke DACA and TPS. Instead of fixing them, he sabotages bipartisan efforts. Instead of leadership, it’s more chaos and cruelty from this White House. To every “moderate” Republican who bowed to pressure from the extremists, we will not forget.

“Our immigration policy must reflect the very best of America and our shared values–not pit one group of immigrants against another. We must protect 1.8 million immigrant youth — it’s the first battle we must win in the fight for dignity and respect for all immigrants.

“We must also protect 400,000 working men and women, who were invited to the United States under TPS and DED after major disasters in their home countries. They have worked hard, paid taxes, and built lives and families here legally. This is their home. They too deserve the stability and security that comes with a pathway to permanent legal status.

“Dreamers, and TPS and DED recipients, know this: we stand with you. We understand the urgency. We will not back down. You belong here. Your families deserve stability and security. As Dr. King said 50 years ago in his final speech, there is no stopping point short of victory. We will not be divided. We will continue to organize and we will win for all working families.”

Contact: Anna Oman, Working Families United, [email protected], 301-979-5899