FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Renee Garcia, rgarcia@immdef.org, 213-634-2186 ext. 8128
ImmDef Welcomes Protections for Mixed-Status Families and Dreamers, Calls for the Restoration of Asylum
LOS ANGELES, CA (June 18, 2024) - In response to the Biden administration’s announcement of new policies affecting mixed-status families and Dreamers today, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) shared the following statement, which can be attributed to Executive Director Lindsay Toczylowski:
“ImmDef extends our gratitude to the many immigrant advocates, organizers, and community stakeholders who worked tirelessly to achieve this promising step towards justice for immigrant families. The potential of these executive actions is monumental for hundreds of thousands of mixed-status families who live daily with the looming threat of deportation and separation. These commonsense policies will keep families together by reducing outdated and unnecessary barriers that keep immigrants from obtaining lawful status. We expect the administration to vigorously defend this lawful policy when it is inevitably challenged in court by anti-immigrant extremists who would rather see families torn apart.
“Today’s announcement proves that where there is a will, there is a way. Good immigration policy--not politics--will strengthen our country and repair our immigration system. Yet, we must make clear that relief for some cannot come at the expense of those who are seeking protection at our borders and through our asylum system. We cannot forget that just two weeks ago, the same administration shut down the southern border, leaving thousands of migrants and asylum seekers in dire straits and sending many people back to danger. We continue to demand that our leaders take action to restore access to asylum and create permanent solutions for the millions of immigrant families in the United States who will not be given relief under this new policy. While we celebrate the relief that many will potentially obtain, we will continue to fight so that all immigrants and asylum seekers are treated with the dignity they deserve and are given the due process they are owed.”
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The Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system. Our programs are a first step towards the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. ImmDef is now the largest non‐profit, pro bono provider of deportation defense in California, with offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego.