Eleven Democrats Join Republicans in Voting to Expand Mass Incarceration, Trump’s Deportation Machinery
Last week, the US House of Representatives voted 226 to 197 for the latest effort to expand mass incarceration and Trump’s deportation machine.
The bill, HR 3486, would impose extreme prison sentences, including steep mandatory minimums, on asylum seekers, teenagers, and people trying to reunite with their families. As the ACLU said in a statement, “If passed in the Senate, the bill would represent a major expansion of mass incarceration disguised as an immigration measure, with sweeping consequences for racial justice, public safety, and federal resources. It would also be one of the most extreme federal sentencing expansions in recent history.”
In their full press release, they expanded:
“H.R. 3486 would supercharge President Trump’s reckless deportation drive, which is already damaging our economy and destabilizing communities. This legislation would hand the Trump administration more tools to criminalize immigrants and terrorize communities at the same time they are deploying federal agents and the military to our streets. It would also undermine public safety by diverting more resources away from youth services and prevention programs that actually improve community safety.
“While the House narrowly passed this bill, we thank the Members of Congress who held the line and voted against this harmful legislation. At a time when president is threatening American cities and the Supreme Court is greenlighting racial profiling, it is vital that a growing number of elected officials are standing together in rejecting Stephen Miller’s dystopian agenda to criminalize and demonize people who come to this country seeking a better life.”
The 11 Democrats joining Republicans were Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Don Davis (NC-01), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Jared Golden (ME-02), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Gabe Vasquez (NM-02).
