HISPANIC FEDERATION CALLS ON SENATE TO REJECT ANTI-IMMIGRANT PROPOSALS IN SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING NEGOTIATIONS
For Immediate Release: November 30, 2023
Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
According to reports from Politico and others, to approve the $106 billion in foreign aid requested by President Biden, Republicans are demanding anti-immigrant provisions that would result in more migrants being denied entry into the U.S. In response, Hispanic Federation President and CEO Frankie Miranda issued the following statement:
“Hispanic Federation strongly condemns the push by Senate Republicans to include radical anti-immigrant provisions into this supplemental funding bill. These measures – that some Democrats are preparing to support – would gut our asylum system and create even more confusion at our southern border. Using the lives of migrants who are escaping civil strife, persecution, violence, and other unimaginable horrors as a bargaining chip is inhumane, and it must be stopped.
We urge all senators, especially Democrats, to reject these proposals and instead focus on streamlining the asylum process and provide support to organizations that are on the frontlines supporting our new neighbors.
Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan need and deserve foreign aid, but that can be accomplished with a clean bill. Foreign aid should not come at the expense of migrants who have a legal right to seek asylum. The right to seek asylum has been enshrined in national and international law for decades. Any permanent changes to asylum laws and parole authority would have devastating consequences at the border, endangering the lives of thousands of vulnerable individuals and families from across the globe. This is plain wrong.
The anti-migrant movement in Congress is un-American and needs to end now. The United States is a nation of immigrants who’ve made important and continued contributions to our culture, economy, and our labor force. Congress must stop playing games with the lives of migrants as they negotiate this vital foreign aid for our allies.”
About Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized and immigrant Latinos. With programs in 40 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
