Florence Project Calls on United States Senate to Protect Dreamers Without Sacrificing Life-Saving Protections for Asylum Seekers
Phoenix, AZ – The Florence Project wholeheartedly supports a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and other undocumented people living in our communities; however, the current framework for a deal being reported in the Washington Post which grants protection to Dreamers in exchange for further eliminating life-saving protections for asylum seekers is unconscionable. The Florence Project urges Senators to act swiftly to protect Dreamers and other immigrants while also rejecting any deal that would condition protection for Dreamers on further rolling back asylum protections.
“The Florence Project applauds Congressional action to provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers,” said Laura St. John, Florence Project Legal Director. “Dreamers are integral members of our communities, and it is long past time for Congress to act to protect them. However, we resoundingly reject the premise that protections for Dreamers must come at the expense of protections for those fleeing persecution and seeking safety in the United States. The proposed framework would extend the dangerous Title 42 border closure and, in an attempt to further ‘streamline’ already expedited deportation procedures, this proposal will eliminate essentially all access to counsel and leave only a facade of due process in a system stacked against asylum seekers. Just as our values call on us to protect Dreamers as members of our communities, they also demand that we not turn our backs on those fleeing violence but welcome them with dignity and justice.”
The Florence Project stands in solidarity with all immigrant communities and calls on Congress to find solutions that protect Dreamers and other undocumented community members, as well as those seeking safety on our shores.
