Lawmakers Urge Attorney General Merrick Garland to Reverse Trump’s Attacks on Immigrants
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal led 60 lawmakers in calling on the Department of Justice to implement a set of reforms that undo the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants. (Twitter photo/@PramilaJayapal)
India-West Staff Reporter
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, June 10 led 60 lawmakers in calling on the Department of Justice to immediately implement a set of reforms that undo the Trump administration’s cruel attacks on immigrants.
Additionally, the lawmakers urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to move toward a system that ensures the fair and impartial administration of justice, according to a news release issued by Jayapal’s office.
To achieve this, the letter outlines specific steps around immigration court backlogs, regulatory and policy review, Executive Office for Immigration Review personnel, legal representation, criminal prosecutions and the ongoing pandemic, the release said, adding that the lawmakers also requested a briefing on these topics.
“In light of the ongoing and irreparable harm that is being inflicted upon immigrant communities, we urge you to implement reforms to the Executive Office for Immigration Review and other Department of Justice immigration policies,” said the lawmakers. “We stand ready to work with you to restore the foundational principles of justice, fairness, and transparency to the immigration system.”
While reiterating their commitment to working alongside the Biden administration to restore fairness and transparency to the DOJ, the lawmakers urged Garland to quickly implement necessary reforms related to immigration court backlog; regulatory and policy review; EOIR personnel; legal representation; criminal prosecutions; and COVID-19.
The call to action is endorsed by local, state and national organizations including American Immigration Lawyers Association, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights and The Advocates for Human Rights, among many others.
The letter is signed by U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Alma S. Adams, Karen Bass, Joyce Beatty, Jamaal Bowman, Julia Brownley, Tony Cárdenas, Andre Carson. Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Gerald E. Connolly, Jason Crow, Danny K. Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Adriano Espaillat, Ruben Gallego, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Sylvia R. Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Al Green, Raul M. Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Sheila Jackson Lee, Hakeem Jeffries, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Mondaire Jones, Marcy Kaptur, Rick Larsen, Barbara Lee, Ted W. Lieu, Alan Lowenthal, Carolyn B. Maloney, James P. McGovern, Gregory W. Meeks, Grace Meng, Grace F. Napolitano, Marie Newman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone, Jr., Jimmy Panetta, Mark Pocan, Ayanna Pressley, David E. Price, Jamie Raskin, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Linda T. Sánchez, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Smith, Darren Soto, Mark Takano, Dina Titus, Norma Torres, Ritchie Torres, Juan Vargas, Nydia M. Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Frederica S. Wilson.
