U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg) today released the following statement after House Republicans voted for legislation that does not responsibly address the problem of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, and could result in the deportation of DREAMers.

“Congressional Republicans voted tonight to eliminate sex trafficking protections for children and to deport DREAM Act students.  In doing so, they are moving farther away from comprehensive immigration reform that would lift Florida’s economy.

“Today’s Republican bills weakened protections for child refugees and victims of sex trafficking by severely limiting due process protections.  Republicans’ zeal to force children back – children who are often running for their lives – was on display for all of the country to see.

“The Republican bills also fail to fully reimburse Florida nonprofit agencies, law enforcement and schools that provide aid to refugees from across the globe. HHS was forced to divert millions from refugee services in Florida and elsewhere to address unaccompanied children on the southern border. The President’s supplemental request included sufficient funding to reverse the cuts, but the Republican bills leave Florida in the lurch.”  The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement provides assistance for refugees, sex trafficking victims, asylees and torture victims living in the United States, and support for states, school districts and law enforcement with large refugee populations, including many communities in Florida. Organizations providing these services, largely non-profit and faith-based organizations, planned on this funding through the end of this fiscal year. The United States has made a commitment to resettle refugees fleeing or fearing persecution due to race, religion, nationality or political opinion.

In a surprise 11th-hour move Republicans also lashed out at DREAM Act students and their families by adding a provision that would encourage deportations of DREAM Act kids. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the country, stated:  “Our organization sees this bill as an affront to the Latino immigrant community. It is extreme and unnecessary and does nothing to address the humanitarian crisis at the border or fix our broken immigration system” 

“The Republicans in Congress have left the country with a significant economic and humanitarian problem that will continue to worsen until Republicans can break free of the tea party’s grip and meet their responsibility to address bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. Meanwhile, I will continue to fight to reform our broken immigration system and live up to my 100 percent grade on the National Immigration Scorecard."

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