Four Democratic congresswomen said in a joint statement on Thursday that they would oppose bipartisan legislation to fund the government because it boosts funds for the Department of Homeland Security, which they accused of inciting "terror" in immigrant communities
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) Four Democratic congresswomen said in a joint statement on Thursday that they would oppose bipartisan legislation to fund the government because it boosts funds for the Department of Homeland Security, which they accused of inciting "terror" in immigrant communities."The Department of Homeland Security has separated thousands of children from their parents, denied asylum to those fleeing danger, and used taxpayers Dollars as a slush fund to incite terror in immigrant communities," US Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib said in the statement. "The Department of Homeland Security does not deserve an increase in funding, and that is why we intend to vote no on this funding package."
The lawmakers argued that US President Donald Trump's "weaponization" of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can only be viewed as a failure when judged by its outcomes.
The statement points out that the bipartisan spending bill provides CBP with $14.9 billion, or an increase of $950 million from current funding levels. ICE would receive $7.6 billion, or an increase of more than $500 million.
Moreover, the legislation would provide funding to increase the number of detention beds so ICE can detain 5,000 additional people per day. The current average of people that ICE is able to detain per day is 45,000.
Lawmakers have said US immigration lack the adequate resources to address the large flows of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. Last year, two migrant children died while in US immigration custody due to the lack of resources at CBP stations to provide quality medical attention.
