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What’s the Difference Between Reps. Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner and Republican Extremists Renewing Calls to Deport DREAMers?

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Answer: Nothing

Denver, CO – With Republicans looking for new ways to exploit the ongoing crisis of kids fleeing violence for their own political gain, more and more are exposing their true stance on immigration – mass deportation – in demanding an end to the broadly successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  Ending the program would again subject hundreds of thousands of DREAMers around the country to deportation, and two key Colorado Republicans — Reps. Mike Coffman (CD-6) and Cory Gardner (CD-4) – have voted to end DACA, as calls to do just that grow louder amongst extremists in their own party.

A few weeks ago, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) began circulating a sign-on letter to President Obama demanding an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—a program he credits with sparking the child migrant crisis at the border, despite all the evidence to the contrary.  Meanwhile, John Boehner is preparing a lawsuit on behalf of House Republicans against President Obama for use of his executive authority, which is likely to include the DACA program, claiming it is unconstitutional.

That brings us back to Rep. Coffman And Rep. Gardner, both of whom have hollowly claimed that they support immigration reform. However, both Coffman and Gardner voted not once, but twice, on extremist measures to end DACA and subject DREAMers to deportation during this Congress.  Now, their colleagues are renewing the call, exploiting the refugee situation on the border as if granting documents to young people who have lived here since at least 2007 has anything to do with newly-arriving refugees.

“This year, immigration reform advocates gave Republicans until the end of June 2014 to show signs of life on a bill, but rather than working to pass legislation, Republicans used the humanitarian crisis of Central American children fleeing gang violence to once again attack young immigrants by insisting to end DACA. Our Colorado GOP should remember that Latino voters will determine winners in the 2014 Colorado elections,” said Carla Castedo, Mi Familia Vota Colorado State Director.

According to Patty Kupfer, Managing Director of America’s Voice based in Colorado, “Coffman and Gardner’s votes to end DACA are right in line with the craziest of the crazy in their party who are stepping up the call to deport DREAMers.  It’s bad enough that they’ve blocked any chance for immigration reform in the near future, but they can’t stop there. No, they can’t help but expose their real agenda of mass deportation.”

“Gardner and Coffman may think that not signing the Issa letter will let them off the hook in this recent wave of extremism from their own ranks, but their multiple votes this Congress to end DACA make it as clear as ever that deporting DREAMers is their true position. And, be sure we votes will remember come November,” said Becky Torres, an Aurora voter and SEIU Local 105 member.