I
wouldn't. Adding $1.2 billion to the budget to make it easier for the U.S. Government to deport people should never be celebrated by any of us,
and certainly not in the era of Trump when we know their number one
policy priority is to scare immigrants into leaving or not coming in
the first place. Look, the people who will be deported with the money we are voting on
are usually people with no criminal background and deep roots in their
communities. They are parents, teachers, businessowners, mostly people
of color, who have lived and worked here a long time and are here, in
many cases, seeking refuge, as is their right under our laws and
international law. Yes, some are dangerous criminals, but don't believe the hype. The
Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are overhauling
who we define as serious criminals so they can make their deportation
force look benign and sometimes even beneficial. Mr. Speaker, I will not be voting for the omnibus bill because I
don't believe that it is okay to slip another billion here or there
into the budget to break up and destroy families, put moms and dads in
detention, and send DREAMers out of the country--the only country they
have ever known. I have looked into the eyes of children, of kids, U.S. citizens,
whose parents have been deported. I have spoken to teachers in Chicago
and across the country who have to deal with the fear in their
students' lives every day. I have worked for decades with families who
have complied--yes, for decades, I have worked with families who have
complied with every order they have been given by Homeland Security and
have reported to authorities like clockwork, but now when they report,
they are deported from the United States of America. I cannot turn around and bless more money for the machinery that is
grinding up families. I just won't do it. And I will not turn my back
on the immigrant community of the United States of America by
supporting funding that will be used to detain immigrants in private
jails and put them on airplanes out of the country. Mr. Speaker, as long as we are going to shortchange health care in
Puerto Rico and subsidize the deportation of families in Chicago, the
budget will not have my vote.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization that most people who will be deported are people with no criminal background and deep roots in their communities.
Keywords matched
deported immigrant immigrants deportation