Post by bot on Jan 17, 2016 18:44:02 GMT -5
Hoyer Statement on Letter to President Obama on Immigration Raids
WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after 146 House Democrats sent a letter to President Obama calling on the Administration to stop raids against refugees and reexamine their policy:
“I am proud to join Reps. Lofgren, Roybal-Allard, Gutiérrez, and 142 other House Democrats in sending a letter to President Obama today criticizing the Administration’s raids against refugees from Central America. This isn’t an issue of immigration policy but one of our humanitarian responsibility to refugees fleeing for their lives. We’ve been hearing reports of individuals denied legal counsel who could speak Spanish during their asylum hearings, and that in some instances authorities rounded up others found alongside the targets of these raids without a warrant.
“Refugees have long sought safety in the United States not only because we are a land of opportunity but because we are a nation of laws and due process – something that was unavailable to protect them in their home countries. We must live up to these principles and prevent injustice against those who are fighting for their lives and safety. I hope the President will change course and allow these refugees the full consideration of due process so that those who have nowhere else to turn can stay here, start to rebuild their lives, and contribute to the common enterprise of America’s future. This unfortunate action underscores the degree to which our nation’s asylum and immigration laws are broken and in urgent need of repair by Congress, acting in a humane, commonsense, and bipartisan manner to enact reform.”
See the letter to President Obama here. 1.usa.gov/22YBnEj