The Honorable Jim Jordan, Chair
The Honorable Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member
The United States House Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn House Building, Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chair Jordan and Ranking Member Raskin,
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to express our strong opposition to the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act - H.R. 9773, which is scheduled for markup in the House Judiciary Committee this week.
Instead of expanding policies that promote family detention, put children at risk, and limit rights guaranteed by international law, Congress must act with urgency to rein in abusive immigration enforcement practices that have put the lives, livelihoods, and rights of all members of our unions, workforce and communities at unacceptable risk.
Over the past year and half, nearly 2.5 million workers, including many union members, have been de-documented and stripped of work authorization as a result of the mass deportation policies of the Trump administration, disrupting key industries and destroying millions of jobs1. Continuing to relentlessly penalize immigrants will do nothing to promote affordability or lift labor standards in our country. To the contrary, these policies push workers into the underground economy and drive down wages and working conditions for all.
At a time when families are already paying more for health care, groceries, gas, electricity and rent, lawmakers should be laser focused on advancing policies that help raise wages and drive down costs for working people; instead, this bill directs even more valuable resources and political capital into further criminalizing workers who help to build, serve, feed and care for our nation.
We renew our call to prevent further harm to working families, and to refocus our priorities on common-sense pro-worker policies that help lift standards in our workplaces and ensure equal and enforceable rights for all. A path to citizenship for everyone whose labor helps our economy prosper should be the centerpiece of any attempt to reform our unjust immigration system.
1https://www.epi.org/publication/trumps-deportation-agenda-will-destroy-millions-of-jobs-both-immigrants-and-u-sborn-
workers-would-suffer-job-losses-particularly-in-construction-and-child-care/
The AFL-CIO firmly rejects policies meant to divide and distract working people. It is time for Congress to focus on policies that support rather than target workers. We urge you to oppose H.R 9773.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs