Further thoughts on the #DreamAndPromise 🧵:
It's important to highlight that the criminalization bars and exclusions in the bill were placed there by Democrats, not Republicans.
Again, this was Democratic leadership that added further criminalization.
It's important to highlight that the criminalization bars and exclusions in the bill were placed there by Democrats, not Republicans.
Again, this was Democratic leadership that added further criminalization.
One take away for me is that we still have much work to do with our communities to make the connections between criminalization and the deportation pipeline.
It's not that this bill is "imperfect". It's that it ADDS criminalization to already existing immigration laws. It looks to the criminal legal system to determine who is "worthy" of protection and safety.
Historically, Democrats have been on the wrong side of this. We can go back as far as the Clinton 1996 immigration laws and the "tough on crime" era that ushered the mass detention and deportation system we have today.
And we all know Obama's record on deportations.
And we all know Obama's record on deportations.
I really do wonder what lessons we have learned.
25 yrs since the 1996 immigration laws. 20 yrs since post-9/11 DHS, 11 yrs since the failure of Dream Act in the Senate, etc, etc.
What lessons have we learned as a movement?
25 yrs since the 1996 immigration laws. 20 yrs since post-9/11 DHS, 11 yrs since the failure of Dream Act in the Senate, etc, etc.
What lessons have we learned as a movement?
We could have done a better job at explaining the criminalization bars in the #DreamAndPromise Act and why the call for #NoMoreExclusions is so important in this moment.
I've been in this country undocumented for 20 years. I understand the need to finally see something done on immigration. I get it.
But I've also seen how police and the criminal legal system have targeted our communities, a criminal conviction makes a person "disposable" to the system.
I think about all the folks who I've gotten phone calls from who ended up in jail, detention, or deported.
I think about all the folks who I've gotten phone calls from who ended up in jail, detention, or deported.
Again, I wonder what lessons we have learned as a movement. And what we collectively need to work towards to.
It's hard to celebrate a legislation that legitimizes a system we're trying to dismantle and abolish.
It's hard to celebrate a legislation that legitimizes a system we're trying to dismantle and abolish.
I hope that in our desire to bring relief to our people, we don't build up system that will use to target them at the same time.
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