New York, NY—Today, the United States House of Representatives passed Donald Trump’s reconciliation bill on a 214-212 vote, allocating $70 billion for immigration enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seize and deport immigrants, and for Border Protection to build the southern border wall, further escalating Trump’s mass deportation agenda throughout the rest of his term.
Additionally, it allocates $350 million to ICE to arrest, detain, and deport a broadly defined group of immigrants in cities and states that the administration determines are not sufficiently cooperating with its mass deportation agenda.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Today’s vote is a dangerous escalation of Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda and a reckless misuse of taxpayer dollars. Instead of investing in the programs and services that help all working families thrive, Congress has handed ICE and Border Patrol a blank check to expand deportation, the private prison industry, and border militarization. This taxpayer-funded windfall is built on the false premise that scapegoating and targeting immigrants will improve public safety or improve the lives of millions of Americans. Instead, this vote will destabilize communities, separate families, and give ICE a license to return to the lawless and violent actions we saw in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and around the country. Poll after poll shows that 65% of Americans disapprove of how ICE is enforcing immigration laws and want Congress to rein in agencies that have gone rogue. We thank those elected officials who reject this bill and all it represents, and we call on the whole of Congress to reverse course and fight for a country where all families have opportunity and access to the American Dream."