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Yesterday’s Immigration Raid in Washington is Inconsistent with the President’s Vision for Reform

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Comprehensive Immigration Reform is the Only Solution

Immigration in the 2008 Democratic National Platform

“We are committed to pursuing tough, practical, and humane immigration reform in the first year of the next administration….  [W]e need to crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants. It’s a problem when we only enforce our laws against the immigrants themselves, with raids that are ineffective, tear apart families, and leave people detained without adequate access to counsel. . . .  For the millions living here illegally but otherwise playing by the rules, we must require them to come out of the shadows and get right with the law.  We support a system that requires undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, pay taxes, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.  They are our neighbors, and we can help them become full tax-paying, law-abiding, productive members of society.”

(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted the first major worksite raid under the Obama Administration.  According to reports from Bellingham, Washington, dozens of armed ICE agents stormed engine remanufacturing plant Yamato Engine Specialists and arrested 28 individuals, mostly from Mexico and Central America, on suspicion that they are in the country without legal immigration documents.  Below is a statement from America’s Voice:

“As recently as last week, President Obama reiterated his commitment to moving forward on comprehensive immigration reform this year.  His statements echoed the 2008 Democratic Party Platform, which promised to shift enforcement priorities to unscrupulous employers and pursue enactment of a comprehensive reform bill in the first year of the current administration. 

“The raid yesterday in Washington stands in stark contrast to the President’s vision for common sense immigration policies that target the truly bad actors, keep American families together, and put hard-working undocumented workers on a path to becoming full Americans.  Immigration raids targeting non-criminal, undocumented workers will not fix our broken immigration system and they will not make our country safer.  

“While President Obama has articulated a commitment to moving forward on real, comprehensive immigration reform, his immigration enforcement agency is continuing the same failed strategies of the past.  Our country desperately needs President Obama and his Administration to make good on their promise to reform our broken immigration laws and adopt effective enforcement strategies that target the truly bad actors.  We urge the new Administration to reject Bush era policies in favor of common sense solutions and real reform.” 

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