Immigrant ARC Condemns Anti-Immigrant Policies in Supplemental Budget Proposal

New York, NY - February 5, 2024 - Yesterday, after weeks of closed-door negotiations, the Senate released the text of the  “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024,” which reveals a complete surrender by lawmakers to xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric, pitting the United States’ asylum process and immigration system against the needs of other vulnerable communities.

In response to the newly released Senate Border Deal, Camille Mackler, Executive Director of Immigrant ARC, made the following statement:

“As a coalition of legal service providers who work tirelessly to create a semblance of due process in a fundamentally unjust system, we are extremely disappointed in our Congressional leadership for caving to inflammatory rhetoric and giving in to fear. The proposed bill not only puts the United States at odds with our obligations under international law and further diminishes our ability to act as a global leader, if passed it would also ultimately exacerbate the very problem it claims to solve. To meaningfully address the needs at the border, Congress should focus on creating more equitable pathways for all. There are many ways that reduce the current over-reliance on humanitarian protections in favor of allowing individuals and families to come to the United States in a manner that sets us all up for success without sacrificing the core of who we are as a nation. The world's most vulnerable will pay the price for Washington’s decisions today, and history will look back on this moment with shame.”

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Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.