FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2013
CONTACT: ACLU of Florida Media Office, media@aclufl.org, (786) 363-2737
Today the U.S. Senate voted xx-xx, resoundingly in favor of an immigration reform bill with a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals in this country. Now, the U.S. House still needs to act, and then both the House and Senate need to come to a final agreement.
The following is a statement on the passage of the bill through the Senate from ACLU of Florida Staff Attorney Shalini Goel Agarwal:
“We applaud the Senate for passing a historic bill that will provide millions of aspiring citizens the legal status they deserve to live, work, and raise their families free of fear in the country they call home. We encourage the House members to do the same, and support comprehensive immigration reform legislation that America can be proud of.
“This bill is not perfect and has gotten more imperfect with the Corker-Hoeven “border surge” amendment added this week. We are aware of the high price we are paying in order to preserve the precious path to citizenship. The border enforcement provisions are extreme and wastefully expensive and will lead to racial profiling, use of excessive force, more surveillance, and increased incarceration rates, violating the civil liberties and human rights of citizens and non-citizens in Southwest border communities and beyond. All despite the fact that border crossings are near their lowest level in decades.
“The ACLU of Florida, as well as other organization across the nation, will work with Congress to make sure we can have comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the end of the year that will have a positive impact on all Americans.”
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