June 16, 2017

Duckworth Hosts Capitol Hill Advocate Roundtable, Reiterates Need for Fair & Humane Immigration Reform

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) hosted a Capitol Hill roundtable with immigration reform and refugee advocates to highlight the pressing need for fair & humane national immigration policies in the Trump era. Duckworth highlighted her work as Senator to combat the Trump Administration's discriminatory executive orders against immigrants her longtime advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform that is practical, fair and humane. A photo from today's roundtable discussion are available here.

"I know from personal experience that America is at its best when we welcome immigrants who work hard every day to build a better life for themselves and their families, but President Trump's policies and proposals would take us down a much darker path," said Duckworth. "I'm grateful to hear from so many advocates today about how our nation stands to benefit from being inclusive, welcoming those who wish to contribute to our economy and supporting common­­­­-sense reforms."

Today's discussion follows another immigration roundtable the Senator hosted in Chicago with local immigration leaders earlier this month. In January, Duckworth called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent investigation into the Trump administration's chaotic and potentially illegal implementation of the President's travel ban. Following Duckworth's request, the Inspector General quickly launched an investigation, which is ongoing.

Duckworth has also helped introduce legislation to rescind President Trump's discriminatory executive orders barring immigrants from six Muslim-majority countries, prioritizing mass deportations of undocumented immigrations and withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities. Since Duckworth was sworn in to office in January, she has been a vocal critic of President Trump discriminatory actions and an advocate for a more fair and humane immigration system. She has also long advocated for our nation to welcome refugees from nations like Syria who are fleeing terror and barbarism in their home countries, and penned an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune in 2015 explaining why America should lead with strength, not fear. That op-ed is available here.