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Washington, D.C.— Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, issues the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) and CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on Oct. 30 released the following statements in response to President Trump’s plan to use an executive order to end the 14th Amendment’s promise of birthright citizenship:

In the run-up to the midterm elections, U.S. President Trump suggested he may try and alter the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which automatically grants citizenship to those born on U.S. soil.

Under the narrative often offered by those who seek to restrict immigration, there is a “good immigrant” who contributes to the growth of the country, and a “bad immigrant” who is undocumented and therefore must be a criminal and deported immediately.

But life is never that simple. As demonstrated by a recent case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, there are many grey areas. That case also demonstrates the importance of good legal counsel. 

Asian-American activists are standing firmly against the recently introduced bill to curb legal immigration. 

FEATURING MEGAN HORN ESSAHEB – Donald Trump last week threw his weight behind a legislative bill aimed at immigration. But it was not a bill targeting undocumented immigration, rather legal immigration and in particular family sponsorship. The bill, called the RAISE Act has made it through the House in an earlier version. This version, introduced by GOP Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue is being touted by the White House as a, “merit-based immigration system that protects our workers, our taxpayers, and our economy.”

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Washington, D.C. — On day 18 of the government shutdown, President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to threaten the livelihoods of Americans by refusing to reopen the government. After House Democrats voted for the bipartisan funding bills that had broad support in the Senate, Senate Republicans are now failing to hold a vote to end the shutdown.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC issues the following response:

“The Democrats and civil rights community will go nuts.”

That’s what a former Commerce Department official recently told Politico. He was describing the reaction sure to occur over any decision the Trump administration takes to improve the next census.

The intensity of the bickering that will break out may surprise Americans who consider this an arcane matter, but the fight will be over things that do matter.

Washington, D.C. – As more details become available about the meeting between the White House and Congressional leaders on Thursday, civil rights organizations are calling attention to the White House’s efforts to get Congress to eliminate the family immigration system and diversity lottery in exchange for passage of legislation for more than a million immigrant youth whose lives hang in the balance since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was terminated by the Trump administration on September 5th.