Reject anti-immigrant amendments and deliver on Inflation Reduction Act, more than 300 groups urge

Gabe Ortiz

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday August 02, 2022 · 9:59 AM PDT

2022/08/02 · 09:59

Immigration rights advocates stand at the US-Mexico border wall during a protest against Title 42 in San Ysidro, California, on May 23, 2022. - A health rule imposed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that has blocked most asylum seekers at the US border with Mexico must stay in place, a judge ruled Friday. Title 42, the colloquial name for an order that can effectively prevent anyone without a visa from entering the United States, even to claim asylum, was due to expire on Monday. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker / AFP) (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images) — Immigration rights advocates stand at the US-Mexico border wall during a protest against Title 42 in San Ysidro, California, on May 23, 2022. The large sign partially reads, "15 miles south of here refugees are dying at our border."

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Nearly 300 organizations have added their voices to a call urging senators to reject anti-immigrant poison pill amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

“In the following days, Congress is slated to pass the FY 2022 budget reconciliation bill, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” Immigration Hub said in a statement received by Daily Kos. “The bill will be subject to a vote-a-rama, a process during which Senators can submit a slew of amendments.” Immigration Hub said advocates expect Republicans to introduce a number of hateful amendments “that target immigrant communities to distract Americans, score political points, and derail the passage of this critical legislation.”

”The groups are calling on Democrats to firmly stand together and vote down all poison pill amendments that block families from seeking refuge and harm immigrant communities who are an integral part of our economic recovery.”

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The letter submitted by the 286 organizations representing numerous constituencies said they expect a number of anti-immigrant amendments in addition to the continued effort to indefinitely continue Stephen Miller’s debunked, unscientific anti-asylum Title 42 order. They urged senators to reject amendments that “end asylum at the border,” “harm immigrants’ health, economic well-being, or education,” and “further bloat enforcement or militarize the border.”

“Precluding otherwise eligible families from accessing critical health programs, using economic supports, or pursuing their educational and employment goals undermines the healthcare goals of the bill and would harm entire communities and the broader economy,” the letter states. “This includes applying any double standards to immigrants during the pandemic when it comes to vaccination requirements or access to public health measures.”

“The Biden administration has taken some small steps toward shrinking the machinery of civil immigration detention, cutting funding for 9,000 detention beds in its proposed budget,” Vera Institute of Justice said in July. But the groups fear anti-immigrant senators may introduce amendments unnecessarily increasing enforcement and detention, “as well as any punishment for states and localities who choose to prioritize public safety by separating local government institutions, including law enforcement, from federal immigration enforcement.”

“We urge you to vote in ways that protect immigrants and VOTE NO against any anti-immigrant amendments presented for this bill,” groups conclude, warning that hateful amendments to the overall package “will likely bring forth challenges to the passage of this important legislation.”

There’s serious reason to worry about the passage of anti-immigrant amendments. The House Appropriations Committee recently passed a GOP-led amendment that would continue Miller’s order. Republican Dan Newhouse’s anti-asylum amendment passed the committee via voice vote, putting no one on the record. More than 200 organizations subsequently urged House leaders to ensure these anti-asylum amendments don’t get a floor vote. Five Senate Democrats this past spring said they’d support an amendment to continue Miller’s order.

Senate Democrats may help GOP keep Stephen Miller's anti-asylum policy in place indefinitely

Testimony confirms Title 42 was never about public health, it was about deporting asylum-seekers

Reject anti-immigrant amendments and deliver on Inflation Reduction Act, more than 300 groups urge

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