AILA Executive Director Responds to Plans from Trump Campaign and House Republicans’ Impeachment Efforts

Washington, DC – Late yesterday, by a margin of eight, House Republicans narrowly failed to move forward with articles of impeachment for the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Meanwhile, the Trump Campaign’s destructive plans for America’s immigration system emerged this weekend. In response, Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) made the following statement:

“The recent coverage of Stephen Miller and the Trump campaign’s planned assault on immigrants and immigration if they win the 2024 election should frighten us all. They would take America back to the time of internment camps, ideological purity tests, and mass deportations that would tear apart American families, the economy, and our values. Their plans include an unprecedented attack on the 14th amendment to the Constitution to strip away birthright citizenship and create a permanent underclass of non-citizens. Frankly, just 10 years ago these kinds of extremist proposals would have never been suggested by a leader of a major political party and would have been overwhelmingly rejected by both parties. Our country deserves rational and humane leadership, and the Republican party must reset its moral compass and reject this dark vision of America’s future, full of authoritarianism and discriminatory ideology.

Additionally, given all the challenges facing our nation and the world, it is mind-boggling that instead of working on solutions to our common struggles, House Republicans instead have wasted time on this effort to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. It is difficult to fathom how this political theater intended to smear the long-standing record of service Secretary Mayorkas has given to our country is a good use of taxpayers' money. Congress must take this moment to turn instead to the important work only they can do: move forward on an all-of-government approach to ensure America’s immigration system serves the public good, upholds the law, and protects the nation’s prosperity.”