Durbin, Duckworth Statement On Trump's Day One Anti-Immigrant Executive Orders
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed executive orders cracking down on immigrant communities, that, among other things, attempt to deprive U.S.-born children of citizenship, suspend refugee resettlement, and require the military to divert resources to the southern border:
“We all agree that our border must be secure, and we must remove any dangerous individuals from our country who are here illegally. But suspending the lawful refugee admissions program and attempting to deprive U.S.-born children of citizenship are ineffective, and, in the latter case, unconstitutional measures that will make our communities and nation less safe.
“Additionally, despite Republicans claiming they want to ensure our military is the most lethal fighting force in the world, President Trump’s executive orders will force our Armed Forces to divert time and resources away from training and executing their core mission in order to assist with his mass deportation campaign—ultimately putting our military readiness and national security at risk in the process.
“After killing a bipartisan border security bill in order to help his chances in the election, President Trump is now attempting to bypass Congress to push his extreme anti-immigrant agenda. Americans deserve a real fix to our broken immigration system that strengthens border security, protects workers, and treats immigrants fairly. Today’s actions will not make our nation safer or move us forward.”
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