Washington, D.C. – Over 100 immigration and civil rights organizations are urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reverse plans to revive an immoral anti-immigrant bill that would severely restrict asylum rights and deny applications based on border apprehension numbers. Senator Schumer plans to bring Senator Murphy’s bill (previously a bipartisan effort with Senator Lankford) to a vote next week, despite our communities’ previous opposition from immigrant communities and allied national organizations, which condemned the bill when it went to a vote earlier this year.
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy of United We Dream, said:
“Democrats’ revival of the failed Murphy-Lankford bill is yet another example of their shameful shift towards the right and their steady embrace of anti-immigrant MAGA attacks against our communities. Democratic leadership in the Senate has a responsibility to hold the line on our collective values of safety and dignity for everyone. They should never be willing to compromise on a horrific deal that relies on systematically disenfranchising thousands of people, especially Black and Brown immigrants exercising their human right to find safety and a better life.
We urge Democratic leadership in the Senate take action to disavow the white nationalist rhetoric that fuels harmful and deadly anti-immigrant policies and stop all attempts to move Senator Murphy’s bill forward. After empty promises, our movement and communities are united in holding Senate leadership accountable for expanding pathways for people seeking safety and delivering on a pathway to citizenship for millions. We know sensible, humane policymaking is the real solution to the needs of people, and constituents deserve no less.”
