Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement regarding new immigration rules issued by the Department of Homeland Security:
“The Trump Administration’s callous plan to deport potentially millions of undocumented immigrants is a massive step in the wrong direction. We need comprehensive immigration reform, not misguided policies that waste taxpayer dollars, undermine our moral credibility, and compromise public safety by focusing our limited resources on those who pose no threat to our communities. Don't let anyone tell you that this makes us safer — in addition to diverting law enforcement resources from focusing on those who commit violent crimes, this policy will erode trust between immigrants and law enforcement, which in turn undermines public safety. Moreover, constructing new prisons to warehouse nonviolent immigrants fleeing violence, oppression, or economic despair in search of hope and opportunity in the United States is a colossal waste of taxpayer resources and diminishes our standing in the world.
“I will fight against these deeply flawed policies and will continue to work in Congress to advance common sense, comprehensive immigration reform.”