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WATCH VIDEO: House Members, Immigration Reform Advocates Denounce the SAFE Act

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House Members, DREAMers & National Immigration Leaders Denounce the SAFE Act
Leaders Call on the House to Get Behind Real Immigration Reform with Citizenship at the Heart

Washington, DC – Today, the House Judiciary Committee began marking-up a new immigration bill, HR 2278, introduced by Rep. Trey Gowdy and other Republicans.  The bill, which they have misnamed the “SAFE Act,” would instantly turn millions of undocumented immigrants into criminals, much like the notorious Sensenbrenner bill of 2005, and take Arizona’s SB 1070 “show me your papers” law nationwide.

At a press conference today at the Capitol today, an overwhelming number of immigration supporters, including Members of Congress, DREAMers, and other national immigration leaders joined forces to denounce this extreme measure and call on House Republicans to get behind real immigration reform with a path to citizenship.  DREAMers held signs and wore t-shirts saying “I am not a criminal” and “American DREAMer.”  View pictures here.

Participating members included:

  • Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Xavier Beccerra (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Alan Lowenthall (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Joe Garcia (D-FL), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D-NM), Steven Horsford (D-NV), David Cicilline (D-RI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-NMI)
  • Lorella Praeli, Director of Advocacy and Policy, United We DREAM; Clarissa Martinez, Director, Immigration and National Campaigns, National Council of La Raza; Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center; Eliseo Medina, Secretary Treasurer, Service Employees International Union; Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition; Bruce Goldstein, President, Farmworker Justice; Rev. Xose G. Escamilla, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Pacific Southwest Region; Frank Sharry, Executive Director, America’s Voice.

Also watch the House Judiciary Committee mark up the SAFE Act here.