Washington, DC – Today, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on a Senator David Vitter (R-LA) sponsored bill (S. 2146) targeting so-called “sanctuary cities.” The bill, which would erode community trust with local law enforcement and scapegoat immigrants and their families, failed on a cloture vote this afternoon.
Following is a response from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Donald Trump continues to tighten his grasp on the Republican Party. Today, Republicans in the Senate – from David Vitter to Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to Marco Rubio (R-FL) – proved once again that they’re content to follow the lead of the Donald and support virulently anti-immigrant legislation. Evidently, they believe that it’s good strategy to appeal to their hardliners and alienate Latinos, Asian-Americans and immigrants heading into the 2016 election cycle.
“Meanwhile, Senate Democrats, led by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and their staffs, demonstrated what real leadership looks like. Instead of bending in the face of anti-immigrant bullying, they stood up for common-sense policing strategies as well as immigrants and their families. Moreover, Senate Democrats reminded their colleagues that the best way to address the symptoms of a broken immigration system is to fix the broken immigration system with comprehensive reform.”
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
· Alliance for Citizenship Letter: Vote NO on Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act (S. 2146)
· David Leopold at The Hill: Getting To The Truth About Steinle’s Murder Starts with Asking the Right Questions
· American Immigration Council Report on How Immigrants are Less Likely to Commit Crimes than Native-Born Americans: The Criminalization of Immigration in the United States
· Cautionary Quotes from City and Enforcement Officials from the States of Senate Judiciary Committee Members:Click Here
· La Opinión Editorial: Sanctuaries and Immigration Reform
· Press Call with Law Enforcement Leader, Legal Experts & Victims’ Advocates on the Importance of Community Safety Policies: Click Here.
Follow Frank Sharry and America’s Voice on Twitter: @FrankSharry and @AmericasVoice
America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform
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