Washington, D.C. (Jan. 26, 2018) — U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said the White House immigration proposal is an insult to our nation.
The Congresswoman said that President Trump and Stephen Miller’s plan is purely partisan and is extreme and xenophobic. She said the plan holds Dreamers hostage by demanding exorbitant border enforcement funds and proposes to decimate the U.S. legal, family-based immigration system and end diversity visas in order to enshrine DACA protections.
“As I have said before, any cuts to our family-based immigration system in a DACA deal is absolutely unacceptable,” Chu said. “Our current, family-based immigration system has been in existence since 1965 and has contributed greatly to America. It has strengthened our economy and has often been the only mechanism for women to reunite with their families in the United States. Contributing to America should not require individuals to abandon their loved ones, and CAPAC will not support an anti-immigrant proposal that simply trades one family’s pain for that of another.”
Trump’s extreme proposal slams the door on immigration to the country, Chu said. U.S. citizens and green card holders would no longer be able to sponsor their parents, siblings, or adult children over the age of 21. Only spouses and minor children would be able to come. This would cut in half the number of legal immigrants who could come to this country, she said.
“This proposal runs contrary to our values as a nation, and is especially harmful to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, many of whom have reunited with their families through our legal immigration system,” Chu said. “It is clear that Donald Trump’s cruel decision to terminate the DACA program last September was made to appease his anti-immigrant base. The fact that Donald Trump would now demand that we decimate our legal, family unification system reveals his true goal: to make America white again.”
The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that Dreamers should be able to stay in the United States and continue to contribute to the only country many of them have ever known, Chu said. There are multiple proposals to protect Dreamers in Congress that have strong bipartisan support, she said.
“However, Donald Trump has chosen to double down on his hateful, xenophobic demands and hold Dreamers ransom in order to propagate his anti-immigrant agenda,” Chu said. “I urge Republican leadership to prioritize governing over campaigning, and allow us to vote on a clean DREAM Act immediately.”
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently Chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.
