August 2, 2022
U.S. Senate
50 Constitution Ave NE
Washington, D.C. 20515
Re: Vote Recommendation Opposing Anti-Immigrant Amendments to the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022
Re: Vote Recommendation Opposing Anti-Immigrant Amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
Dear Senator:
The undersigned 286 state, local, and national immigration, civil rights, public health, business, education, religious, labor, and other organizations write to respectfully request that you VOTE NO on any amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that would harm immigrant communities and be a “poison pill” that could derail this important legislation. This bill works to reduce the deficit, fight inflation, invest in both energy and the environment, and lower health care costs for working Americans—Senators should focus on delivering this relief rather than advancing an anti-immigrant agenda. We ask you to oppose anti-immigrant amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act, including amendments that would:
- End Asylum at the Border. Amendments seeking to end asylum by codifying and indefinitely extending the Title 42 expulsions policy would violate a Democratic commitment to providing a fair asylum system. Amendments that make Title 42’s rescission contingent on the termination of the COVID-19 emergency declaration will have widespread public health and safety ramifications. Such amendments would also violate our commitment to stand with asylum seekers, immigrants, and communities of color disparately impacted by immigration law. Title 42, the Trump-era border policy that threatens to dismantle the U.S. asylum system, has resulted in more than two million expulsions that send people back to Mexico and their country of origin without even an asylum screening, as required under U.S. law. This racist policy endangers refugees, violates immigrants’ right to seek asylum and refuge, and accelerates antiimmigrant violence and rhetoric. Title 42, and deterrence-based policies like it, sow chaos at the border rather than ameliorating it by shuttering the ports of entry to those seeking safety and driving them to take other dangerous pathways.
- Harm Immigrants’ Health, Economic Well-Being, or Education. Precluding otherwise eligible families from accessing critical health programs, using economic supports, or pursuing their educational and employment goals undermines the health care goals of the bill and would harm entire communities and the broader economy. This includes applying any double standards to immigrants during the pandemic when it comes to vaccination requirements or access to public health measures.
- Further Bloat Enforcement or Militarize the Border. Deterrence-based enforcement and continued surveillance and abuse, both at the border and throughout the interior, should not and cannot be inserted into this bill. This includes increased and unnecessary funding to interior enforcement, border enforcement, and detention as well as any punishment for states and localities who choose to prioritize public safety by separating local government institutions, including law enforcement, from federal immigration enforcement. We urge you to vote in ways that protect immigrants and VOTE NO against any anti-immigrant amendments presented for this bill. Adopting anti-immigrant amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act will likely bring forth challenges to the passage of this important legislation. Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
#WelcomeWithDignity
ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
Advocating Opportunity
AFL-CIO
African American Ministers In Action
African Communities Together
Alianza Americas
America’s Voice
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Jewish Committee
American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN)
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Border Organizing Project
Bread for the World
CASA
Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Victims of Torture
Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s HealthWatch
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Church World Service
Coalition on Human Needs
Communities United for Status and Protection
Community Catalyst
Community Change Action
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Detention Watch Network
Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries
Doctors for Camp Closure
Dreamers Mothers In Action (DMIA)
EMGAGE
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Esperanza United (Formerly Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network)
Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) Action
Families Belong Together
Families USA
First Focus Campaign for Children
Food Empowerment Project
Franciscan Action Network
Freedom for Immigrants (FFI)
Freedom Network USA
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Haitian Bridge Alliance
HIAS
Hispanic Federation
Human Impact Partners
Human Rights First
IHM Sisters
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigration Equality Action Fund
Indivisible
Innovation Law Lab
InReach
Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center
International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
Japanese American Citizens League
Justice Action Center
Justice in Motion
Kids in Need of Defense
Kino Border Initiative
Latin America Working Group (LAWG)
Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice
League of United Latin American Citizens
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
MomsRising
MPower Change Action Fund
Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Homelessness Law Center
National Immigrant Justice Center
National Immigration Law Center
National Immigration Project (NIPNLG)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA)
Oxfam America
ParentsTogether
Physicians for Human Rights
Poder Latinx
Presente.org
Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
Prevention Institute
RAICES
Refugees International
RESULTS
Save the Children
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Southern Border Communities Coalition
St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace and Ecology
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Tahirih Justice Center
The Advocates for Human Rights
The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
The Immigration Hub
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic
UndocuBlack Network
UnidosUS
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
United We Dream
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Washington Office on Latin America
We Are All America
WHEATON FRANCISCAN SISTERS JPIC Office
Witness at the Border
Women’s Refugee Commission
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
State and Local Organizations
ACLU of Virginia
ACLU of West Virginia
ACLU People Power Fairfax
AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC)
Al Otro Lado
Alianza Sacramento
Americans for Immigrant Justice
Arkansas United
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, Inc. (AMEXCAN)
AYUDA
Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture
Border Workers United
Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC, Inc.
California WIC Association
CATA – The Farmworker Support Committee
Central American Resource Center of Northern CA – CARECEN SF
Central Washington Justice For Our Neighbors
Centreville Immigration Forum
Centro de Trabajadores Agricolas Fronterizo
Church Council of Greater Seattle
Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador
Church of the Ascension
Church Women United in New York State
Church World Services – Virginia
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia
Cobb Immigrant Alliance
Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization
Congregation Action Network
Connecticut Shoreline Indivisible
Cornerstones
Destiny Baptist Church
Dominican Sisters of Houston
Dream Project
Edu-Futuro
El Centro de la Raza
Essex County Community Organization
Faith in New Jersey
Faith in New York
Fellowship Southwest
First Congregational Church of San Jose
Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project
Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)
Franciscans for Justice
Friends United for Equity & Grassroots Organizing (FUEGO)
Hamkae Center
HANA Center
Hispanic Liaison / El Vínculo Hispano
Hispanic Organization of Leadership and Action
Hope Border Institute
Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Immigrant & Refugee Justice (IRJ), a task force of the WNY Peace Center
Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity
Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown
Immigrant ARC
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Interfaith Welcome Coalition – San Antonio
International Institute of New England
Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington
Jewish Voice for Peace, Atlanta Chapter
Just Neighbors Ministry
Justice for Our Neighbors El Paso
Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan
Khmer Maine
Korean American Association of Northern Virginia
La Conexion
La Monarca Foundation – Dallas Texas
La Raza Community Resource Center
Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice – Virginia
Latino Pastoral Action Center, Inc.
Legal Aid Justice Center
Legal Services for Children
Long Island Immigration Clinic, Sisters of St. Joseph
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Make the Road New York
Make the Road Pennsylvania
Mariposa Legal, a program of COMMON Foundation
Miami Valley Immigration Coalition
Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
MinKwon Center for Community Action
Motivation Motivates
Multicultural Community Center
Muslim Association of Puget Sound – American Muslim Empowerment Network
Neighbor’s Keeper
New England Justice for Our Neighbors
New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Virginia Majority Education Fund
New York Annual Conference United Methodist Church Board of Church and Society
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Justice for Our Neighbors, Inc.
North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT)
North Carolina Justice Center
Northwest Harvest
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Northwest Kenyan Community Association
NW Ohio Immigrant Rights Network
Oasis Legal Services
OneAmerica
Opening Doors International Services
Our Revolution Essex County
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Pennsylvania Immigration & Citizenship Coalition
Progress Virginia
Quetzal Enterprises
Reedley Social Services, Inc.
Sacred Heart Catholic Community Center
San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium
Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition
SEIU 32BJ
SEIU 512
Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN)
Shirlington Employment and Education Center
Sin Barreras
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation
Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York
Social Justice Coalition Central Lutheran Church
South Jersey Progressive Democrats
TakeAction Minnesota
Takoma Park Mobilization, Equal Justice
Tenants and Workers United
Tennessee Justice Center
THE BUFFALO IMMIGRANT LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Children’s Partnership
The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis
The Legal Aid Society (New York)
The Sidewalk School
Transformations CDC
Unidad Latina en Acción NJ
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400
Ventura County [CA] Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice
Virginia Civic Engagement Table
Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations
Virginia Immigration Intercollegiate Alliance
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Virginia League of Planned Parenthood
Virginia Organizing
Wallingford Indivisible
Washington Defender Association
Wayne Action for Racial Equality
WESPAC Foundation, Inc.
Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration – WJCI
William E. Morris Institute for Justice
Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
