Clarke urges US senators to reject compromises on immigrants’ rights

WASHINGTON (CMC):

Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has joined immigration advocates, prominent United States House of Representatives’ Democrats and other stakeholders in urging US senators to reject compromises on immigrants’ rights in the ongoing border negotiations.

Many of the migrants and asylum seekers arriving in New York and other northern states from the Southern Border of the United States are nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Guatemala.

“The success of this great nation, in large part, has relied upon encouraging people from across the globe to come here and contribute to the United States. It’s part of the promise of America – a beacon of hope and refuge from those fleeing persecution, war, and violence,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants.

“But, right now, members of Cngress are working on proposals that would significantly harm our asylum system and deter people from seeking critical protection,” added the representative of the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York and first vice-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

“Turning our back on asylum seekers is not only counter to our laws, but also a betrayal of our morals and values as Americans. We cannot go back to the dark days of Trump-era policies that sought to destroy every essence of humanity in our immigration system.

“It’s time that our elected leaders put real solutions over politics,” Clarke told a news conference, noting that US Senate negotiators are considering anti-immigrant policies, and that House Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he would reject any border deal that doesn’t include an extreme border policy already passed by House Republicans.

POLITICAL PAWNS

The Caribbean-American congresswoman, who was joined at the news conference by several lawmakers and immigration advocates, called on senators to reject any compromises on immigrants’ rights, including anti-immigrant proposals that they say would “gut our asylum system, separate families and send vulnerable people back to danger”.

Their demands came just days after US President Joe Biden urged congressional leaders, including Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to pass a national security supplemental package that would include foreign-aid funding.

“Today, we raise our voices against the so-called ‘negotiations’ taking place on the border,” said Immigration Task Force Co-Chair Pramila Jayapal, of Washington State,’ adding, “Let’s be clear: this is not a negotiation. It’s extortion”.

Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas said Republicans are choosing to hold Ukraine funding hostage in exchange for cruel, unworkable and permanent policy changes on immigration.

“They just want to shut down the border and shut down immigration,” Castro said, noting that, “the United States became the greatest nation on earth because of the immigrants who built it.

“The right-wing campaign to demonise migrants and asylum seekers will not be satisfied by the extreme demands that Republicans have put on the table. Congress cannot let the lives of the world’s most vulnerable families be used as political pawns.”

Congressman Ro Khanna, of California, said that, “as a son of immigrants, this issue is deeply personal to me.

“We can’t compromise on our morals and cave in to extreme demands from Republicans. We need rational policy solutions to address the challenges of securing the border, not politicised efforts to take asylum away and deport millions of people.

“I urge my senate colleagues to uphold the dignity and rights of immigrants,” he added.