Washington, DC – SEARAC condemns the passage of the budget reconciliation bill, which allocates an additional $70 billion to ICE and CBP to expand immigration enforcement.
This massive expansion of detention and deportation only deepens fear and instability in immigrant and refugee communities, including Southeast Asian American families who continue to live with the lasting consequences of displacement, deportation, and family separation. Rather than assisting communities currently struggling to access healthcare or afford groceries, housing, or other daily necessities, Congress and the White House have chosen to further fund two agencies that have a proven track record of killing US citizens and stomping on the rights of everyone living in this country.
“The expansion of immigration enforcement through this bill sends a dangerous and disturbing message about whose safety and well-being are valued,” said Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of SEARAC. “We know these funds will be spent to supercharge attacks on Southeast Asian American and other immigrant and refugee communities. We urge policymakers to reject agendas rooted in punishment and exclusion and instead invest in solutions that uphold the health and dignity of our communities, keep our families together, and strengthen our communities. That means that Congress must revoke the absurd and unconscionable $240 billion dollars it has allocated to immigration enforcement over the past year. Those resources belong in healthcare, housing, education, and other vital community supports.”
SEARAC is committed to working alongside advocates across the country to demand not a single more dollar for ICE and CBP—and to fight for policies that advance dignity and opportunity for all communities.
Media contact: Elaine Sanchez Wilson | elaine@searac.org
