As Vote Looms Immigration Agents Ask Public, Lawmakers to Oppose Bill

Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have called on the public and members of the U.S. Senate to oppose the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill on the eve of its expected vote in the Senate.

The Senate is the expected to take up the bill for vote on Thursday at the earliest, or by Friday, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues rushing it across the finish line.

In a joint statement on Wednesday evening, USCIS National Council president Kenneth Palinkas and ICE National Council president Chris Crane said the bill, if it ever became law, would be putting politics over public safety.

“ICE officers and USCIS adjudications officers have pleaded with lawmakers not to adopt this bill, but to work with us on real, effective reforms for the American people,” Crane and Palinkas said in their statement. 

“The Schumer-Rubio-Corker-Hoeven proposal will make Americans less safe and it will ensure more illegal immigration–especially visa overstays–in the future. It provides legalization for thousands of dangerous criminals while making it more difficult for our officers to identity public safety and national security threats,” they explained. 

“The legislation was guided from the beginning by anti-enforcement special interests and, should it become law, will have the desired effect of these groups: blocking immigration enforcement,” the statement claims.

They added that they believe this is an “anti-public safety bill and an anti-law enforcement bill.”

“We urge all lawmakers to oppose the final cloture vote on Thursday and to oppose the bill. And we call on all Americans to pick up the phone and call their members of Congress: (202) 224-3121,” Crane and Palinkas said.