Washington, D.C. –
In anticipation of the Senate’s vote today on the bipartisan Border Act (S. 4361), Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)’s Vice President of U.S. Federal Policy Jason Boyd issued the following statement:
“Bipartisanship is critical to immigration reform. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) appreciates that the Border Act (S.4361), which is rooted in a bipartisan agreement struck earlier this year by Sens. Murphy, Lankford, and Sinema, reflects across-the-aisle recognition of the critical importance of robust safeguards, including provision of legal counsel, for unaccompanied children. However, we are deeply concerned that provisions in the bill would, among a range of harmful consequences, effectively shut off access to humanitarian protection for other vulnerable populations while exacerbating disorder and operational inefficiencies at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Border Act also fails to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers—one that is long overdue. Much work remains, but this legislation signals that child protection can serve as a uniting force and light a path toward further solutions that should ultimately transcend party and politics.”
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990
