Pelosi Statement on ICE Deportation Actions

Contact: Drew Hammill/Evangeline George, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to conduct deportations of migrants from Central America escaping extreme violence in their home countries:

“ICE’s deportation actions raise significant concerns about whether the rights of due process and the safety of desperate families are being respected. House Democrats have consistently said that ICE must not proceed with deportations unless meaningful action is taken to address these problems.

“As I wrote in a letter to the President last week, Democrats are deeply concerned that the current approach ‘results in migrants being returned to the violent conditions they escaped from in the first place.’ The mothers and children who are overwhelmingly the subjects of these enforcement actions are desperately trying to escape the violence of their home countries. In processing the asylum claims of women, children and others fleeing horrific violence in Central America, the Department of Homeland Security must ensure that no person is wrongfully deported to face certain persecution or mortal danger.

“Ultimately, we are facing a regional challenge that requires a regional solution. In a recent bipartisan Congressional delegation I led to Latin America, we discussed this critical situation with our partners in the region. Deportation actions in the U.S. do nothing to address the root causes of migration: extreme violence in the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. We need a comprehensive strategy to address the issue of transnational migration, and Congress should move swiftly to pass Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s ‘Fair Day in Court for Kids Act.’”

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