QUIGLEY, ADVOCATES CALL FOR PASSAGE OF PROTECT IMMIGRATION ACT

Statement

U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) and five immigration organizations are calling for the immediate passage of the PROTECT Immigration Act after the Washington Post published emails revealing that the Trump administration aggressively recruited sheriffs to detain undocumented immigrants. Quigley's PROTECT Immigration Act would end the 287(g) program which, under Trump, allowed ICE to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies for the purposes of enforcing federal immigration law. Earlier this year, Quigley and more than 50 members of Congress also sent a letter calling on President Biden to follow through on his campaign promise to review and terminate 287(g) agreements.

"We already knew that the Trump administration spent their four years in office eroding the relationship between law enforcement and their communities and fomenting fear among immigrant communities. This week's revelations show just how aggressively Trump officials pursued that agenda." said Quigley. "Congress has an obligation to take every step we can to end the programs that turn local law enforcement into immigration enforcement departments. It's the only way we can return to an immigration system that prioritizes justice over fear."

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