As members of Congress prepare to vote for a reconciliation package that includes $70 billion to ICE and CBP, Amy Fischer, Amnesty International USA’s Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights said:
“The last thing we need in this country is more cruelty at the hands of ICE and CBP. As Congress is deliberating whether to pour another $70 billion into these agencies, lawmakers must remember that communities across the country have been living with the brutal consequences of unchecked anti-immigrant practices including militarized raids, unlawful arrests and detention, racial profiling, families being terrorized and separated in their own neighborhoods and killings of our neighbors by federal agents. These operations have created violence and fear, not safe communities.
“Congress must not reward abuses with more money. Expanding ICE and CBP funding while reports of brutality and lawlessness are ongoing sends a dangerous message that lawmakers will tolerate human rights violations without demanding accountability.
“We must not expand a cruel system that intimidates and harms immigrant, Black, brown, and Indigenous communities, fuels fear and normalizes authoritarian practices. The government has an obligation to uphold human rights and the rule of law, not bankroll agencies that undermine them.
“As communities across the country face the impacts of massive cuts to food assistance, Medicaid, and other social services and the cost of living continues to skyrocket, Congress should instead be focusing on the real needs of our communities. Lawmakers must reject any additional funding for ICE and CBP and instead move to end mass detention, abusive enforcement practices, and the impunity that has allowed these violations in the first place. Not another dollar for ICE or CBP!”
Additional information
Amnesty International members and supporters have taken nearly 60,000 actions asking lawmakers to stop funding ICE and border patrol.
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