To: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-7)
Rep. Cantor: Stop playing political games and pass immigration reform
Rep. Cantor, your attempt to undo the deferred action program and deport young immigrants was shameful. Americans are looking for solutions on immigration reform, not senseless attacks on young Americans who only want a chance to come out of the shadows. We're tired of your party's political games. It's time we pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.
Why is this important?
As Speaker Boehner's right-hand man, Eric Cantor is one of the most powerful Republicans in the House. Ever since Latino and immigrant voters decided the outcome of the 2012 election, he has talked about the need to fix our broken immigration system. In fact, few Republicans have appeared to embrace this change more than Eric Cantor from Virginia.
Earlier this year, Cantor even said about the children of undocumented immigrants, "A good place to start is with the kids. One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents."
But while Rep. Cantor's rhetoric has changed, his extreme ideology apparently has not. Instead of standing with immigrants when it really counts, he has turned his back on these young people and sided with the extremists in his party. This is DC hypocrisy at its worst!
Until last year, nearly a million children of undocumented immigrants were restricted from doing many basic things like driving, going to college, or applying for jobs. Their immigration status forced them to live in the shadows and prevented them from pursuing their American Dream.
But last year these young people -- often called DREAMers -- and the entire immigrant community won a huge victory when President Obama announced the deferred action policy which allowed them to finally come out of the shadows and pursue their dreams through a temporary fix to their status.
Recently, Rep. Cantor sided with the extremists shamefully trying to dismantle this victory and voted to block all funding to the program and put DREAMers at risk of deportation. While his vote was mostly a symbolic gesture, since there’s no chance the House bill as it is will be passed by the Senate, this was a direct attack on children and young immigrants.
Americans are looking for leadership on immigration reform, not more attacks. Please join us in telling Rep. Cantor we're tired of his party's political games. It's time we pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.
Earlier this year, Cantor even said about the children of undocumented immigrants, "A good place to start is with the kids. One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents."
But while Rep. Cantor's rhetoric has changed, his extreme ideology apparently has not. Instead of standing with immigrants when it really counts, he has turned his back on these young people and sided with the extremists in his party. This is DC hypocrisy at its worst!
Until last year, nearly a million children of undocumented immigrants were restricted from doing many basic things like driving, going to college, or applying for jobs. Their immigration status forced them to live in the shadows and prevented them from pursuing their American Dream.
But last year these young people -- often called DREAMers -- and the entire immigrant community won a huge victory when President Obama announced the deferred action policy which allowed them to finally come out of the shadows and pursue their dreams through a temporary fix to their status.
Recently, Rep. Cantor sided with the extremists shamefully trying to dismantle this victory and voted to block all funding to the program and put DREAMers at risk of deportation. While his vote was mostly a symbolic gesture, since there’s no chance the House bill as it is will be passed by the Senate, this was a direct attack on children and young immigrants.
Americans are looking for leadership on immigration reform, not more attacks. Please join us in telling Rep. Cantor we're tired of his party's political games. It's time we pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.