Washington, DC – House Republicans are scheduling a vote on a non-binding resolution H. Res. 461 this week as part of a baseless, fear mongering political stunt to condemn the common practice of using elementary and secondary school facilities to provide temporary shelter for migrants.
The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“This week’s House resolution vote is a perfect encapsulation of Republicans and immigration – zero solutions but lots of ugly and divisive politics and fear-mongering over immigrants and asylum seekers.
That this is a non-binding resolution drives this point home – they don’t even have jurisdiction over the substance of these issues, but only want to waste time trying to stoke outrage and generate fodder for more political attacks. It continues the theme that we’ve seen nearly every week from House Republicans in committee hearing after committee hearing.
Yet it goes beyond just time wasting and partisan politics. The recent conviction of the Tree of Life shooter in Pittsburgh, motivated by vile white nationalist “replacement” theory, is a reminder about the real world dangers of mainstreaming anti-immigrant hate. Here was a man so fearful and hateful – and well-armed – that he killed 11 worshippers, including a 97 year-old woman, in order to repel what he believes to be an immigrant invasion and a plot by Jews to replace him. Nonetheless, House Republicans have been using this rhetoric and platforming this conspiracy with increased frequency in the years since the shooting and throughout their recent months in the majority.
House Republicans should work on solutions to our broken immigration system – not more dangerous immigration rhetoric and non-binding statements that memorialize their misplaced and dangerous priorities.”
