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Currently showing results related to Immigration
Senate Leaders Raise Questions About Nomination Of Tom Homan To Head Immigration And Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led 17 senators in calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to immediately provide all documentation provided to the Senate's Homeland Security Committee regarding Tom Homan, President Trump's controversial nominee to head U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mr. Homan has been acting as the agency's director since January 30, 2017, but his nomination has been pending in the Senate for more than six … Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Durbin Statement On Sessions Reversing Course On Plan To Undermine Due Process In Immigration Courts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing that there would be "no pause" in the Justice Department's Legal Orientation Program (LOP), which provides basic legal information to detained immigrants about their rights and the immigration court process: "Attorney General Sessions' reversal on stopping the LOP … Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Durbin Statement On New Air Force Report That National Guard Border Deployment Hurts Readiness, Costs Military Families
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement on a new report by the U.S. Air Force entitled, "National Guard Role in Enhanced Border Security," which examined prior deployments of the National Guard to the southern border: "With this report, the Secretary of the Air Force says clearly that playing border politics with the lives of the women and men serving in our National Guard is … Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Durbin: President Trump Must Solve The Crisis He Created & Support The Bipartisan Dream Act Now
WASHINGTON-Following a federal court ruling yesterday that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program protections must stay in place, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. As of March 5, 2018 - the arbitrary deadline that President Trump set for expiration of the DACA program - hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as … Continue Reading
April 18, 2018
Durbin Grills Justice Department On Politicization Of Immigration Courts
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, today grilled a Justice Department official at a hearing entitled, "Strengthening and Reforming America's Immigration Court System," about the Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions politicizing America's immigration court system at the expense of due process for immigrants. The Justice Department last week halted the Legal Orientation Program (LOP). Created by the Bush … Continue Reading
April 17, 2018
Durbin Questions National Guard Chief On Troop Deployment To The Border
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today questioned General Joseph Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard, on the Trump Administration's deployment of National Guard troops to the Southwest border. At the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Durbin pressed General Lengyel on the financial costs of the deployment as well as the impact on readiness. "Many of us were also taken aback when the President … Continue Reading
April 10, 2018
Durbin: The Republicans Who Control Congress Should Ignore Trump, Protect Dreamers
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. As of March 5, 2018 - the arbitrary deadline that President Trump set for expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program - hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, faced losing their work permits and being deported to countries they barely … Continue Reading
March 28, 2018
Durbin, Duckworth Join Call For Full Funding Of Refugee Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 22 of their colleagues in a letter to Senate appropriators, calling for robust funding for programs affecting refugees and other vulnerable migrant populations. The letter follows President Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2019, which seeks to slash funding for critical humanitarian programs. The President's proposed cuts would underfund key refugee resettlement … Continue Reading
March 23, 2018
Durbin Statement On Omnibus Funding Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the omnibus funding bill: "While this bill seemingly addresses every subject under the sun, it does not address the looming fate that our Dreamers face in America. I'm disappointed by this, but will continue to fight to protect Dreamers and fix the crisis that President Trump created by shutting down the DACA program. "What this bill does include is important investments for the people of Illinois, … Continue Reading
March 22, 2018
Durbin Asks Consent To Pass The Dream Act
WASHINGTON-Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked unanimous consent that the Senate pass the bipartisan Dream Act. Republican leaders and President Trump have rejected multiple bipartisan offers to address the DACA crisis created by the President on September 5th, 2017. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) objected, and instead countered with President Trump's immigration plan, which garnered the least support of any immigration measure considered by the Senate earlier this year, … Continue Reading
March 22, 2018
Durbin, Dem Senators Press DHS IG To Investigate Allegations Of Separation Of Children From Asylum-Seeking Parents At U.S. Border
WASHINGTON-Following recent reports of the case of a seven-year-old girl and her mother from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who were separated for more than four months after they presented themselves at the U.S. border and sought protection in accordance with the law, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 23 of his Senate colleagues today pressed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Inspector General to investigate allegations that DHS is separating the … Continue Reading
March 13, 2018
Durbin: With Dreamers' Future Uncertain, Senate Must Pass Dream Act Now
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. As of March 5, 2018 - the arbitrary deadline that President Trump set for expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program - hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children, known as Dreamers, faced losing their work permits and being deported to countries they barely … Continue Reading
March 07, 2018
Durbin Urges Dreamers To Renew Their DACA
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to immediately file applications to renew their DACA status, which is permitted by two nationwide federal court injunctions blocking the Trump Administration's repeal of DACA. This morning, Durbin spoke with Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who personally assured him that Dreamers with pending DACA renewal applications will NOT be deported, even if … Continue Reading
March 05, 2018
Durbin: Trump Created The DACA Crisis Six Months Ago Today. What Happens Next Is Up To Republican Congressional Leaders
WASHINGTON-Six months to the day after the Trump Administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called on Congress to solve the crisis, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) again called on the Republicans who control Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act. "What's at stake? 780,000 young people protected by DACA, which officially by President Trump's order ends today," said Durbin. "They have one ray of hope, perhaps two. Two courts have … Continue Reading
February 26, 2018
Durbin Statement On Supreme Court Decision On White House DACA Case
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by the Trump Administration for expedited consideration of its challenge to an injunction blocking the Administration's termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program: President Trump created this crisis six months ago, and his administration continues to use every available legal option to prevent Dreamers from keeping their … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Durbin Statement On Senate's Failure To Pass Bipartisan Protection For Dreamers
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate failed to advance bipartisan legislation to protect young immigrants known as Dreamers: When the President ended DACA five months ago, he set in motion a crisis jeopardizing the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people and their families. He then demanded his entire anti-immigrant wish-list as ransom to restore these young people's protections. Democrats made enormous concessions … Continue Reading
February 13, 2018
Durbin: President Trump Created A Dreamer Crisis, Now Congress Must Act
WASHINGTON-Five months since the Trump Administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called for Congress to come up with a legislative solution, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Senate colleagues to come together and pass the bipartisan Dream Act. This week on the Senate floor, the Senate began debating immigration for the first time in five years. "We are in the midst of a debate on the floor in the United States … Continue Reading
February 12, 2018
Durbin: It's Time For The Senate To Do It's Job And Pass The Bipartisan Dream Act
WASHINGTON-Five months since the Trump Administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called for Congress to come up with a legislative solution, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on his Senate colleagues to come together and pass the bipartisan Dream Act. This week on the Senate floor, the Senate will debate immigration for the first time in five years. "After a lot of negotiating back and forth, Senator McConnell agreed that … Continue Reading
February 08, 2018
Durbin: Budget Deal Delivers For America, Provides Path Forward For Dream Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement on the agreement reached between Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): I applaud the leaders for coming together to reach a budget agreement that secures critical investments in children's and community health, our national security, and a host of America's other priorities. It's the first glimmer of bipartisanship that I hope will end the destructive cycle … Continue Reading
February 06, 2018
Durbin: With President Trump Failing To Lead, Congress Must Pass The Bipartisan Dream Act Now
WASHINGTON-Five months since the Trump Administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called for Congress to come up with a legislative solution, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today once again came to the Senate floor to call on Republican leaders in Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act now. In his speech, Durbin noted that just four weeks ago-in a nationally televised White House meeting-President Trump himself acknowledged … Continue Reading