Thread by @matt_cam

The horrific #Goodlatte #immigration bill soon up for debate isn't something to be "compromised" with. It's a harsh, intentional, irrevocable shift Trumpward.

Shred it.

Burn the ashes.

Scatter them upon the Antarctic plains.

Here are just a few of many reasons.

(1) CRIMINALIZATION of unlawful presence in the United States: White supremacy writ into law. For past 228 years, simply *being in U.S.* w/o permission was a civil offense w/no consequence other than deportation.
(NB: This was quickly rejected in 2005, but much more likely now)

(2) ONE HUNDRED THIRTY BILLION UNITED STATES TAXPAYER DOLLARS to fully militarize the Mexican border.

Even @Heritage, which otherwise mostly likes the bill, balked at this as "hard to justify." You don't say.

(3) ENDING FAMILY IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES.

Current law allows U.S. citizens to request greencards for parents, adult children, & siblings. This bill would not only end that, but effectively CANCEL NEARLY ALL pending family visas. How do you "compromise" with that?

(4) ALLOWING SAME BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT TO DEFINE, DETAIN, AND DEPORT "GANG MEMBERS" W/OUT DUE PROCESS

The feds would be able to designate anyone as a gang member without evidence, hold them without bail, and deny them all future immigration options. This is terrifying.

5/ PERMANENT LIMBO & RESTRICTED RIGHTS FOR #DREAMERS

The #Goodlatte bill is not a "DACA fix." (Media: *please push back on this language*) It's a permanent state of "contingent non-immigrant status," renewable every 3 yrs, with international travel restricted to 15 days per trip

(6) JAILING AND DEPORTING CHILDREN

Most immigrant children are given special due process & other protections under current law. This bill would remove those protections, severely restrict #SpecialImmigrantJuvenile visa protections, & let #ICE jail & deport children much faster

(7) PERMANENTLY BARRING APPOINTED COUNSEL FROM #IMMIGRATIONCOURTS

Under current law, non-citizens are not given attorneys in #ImmigrationCourt and only have right to counsel "at no expense to the Government." This would bar any funding for any future appointed counsel system.

(8) SEVERELY RESTRICTING #ASYLUM RIGHTS

Current law gives asylum seekers an informal "credible fear interview"--in detention, in haste, usually w/o an attorney--w/an asylum officer to screen claims. This bill would make these much harder to pass, and deport many w/real claims.

(9) DEPORTING #ASYLUM SEEKERS OF ALL NATIONALITIES TO MEXICO

The international terrorists many #CentralAmerican asylum seekers are trying to flee thrive safely in Mexico. This bill would declare Mexico "safe" & permit us to deport asylum seekers there without Mexico's consent.

To that last point: Despite popular belief, the majority of people presently crossing the southern border are not from Mexico, but #CentralAmerica. As of now, Mexico is far from a "safe third country" and the same criminal gangs are operating with impunity there. (See below)

What kind of person would support the fascist excess of the #Goodlatte #SecuringAmericasFutureAct?

Let's start here: they believe that allowing 6-year-olds to have a non-adversarial interview to save them the trauma of appearing before a judge in a courtroom is a "loophole."

#Goodlatte says that (in direct contradiction to U.S. history & values) #immigration should be solely defined by net worth & earning potential, & that U.S. citizens should have to spend the rest of their lives in this country without their parents, adult children, and siblings

Anyone supporting #SecuringAmericasFutureAct is signing on to "solving" Trump-created crisis of children being taken from parents at the border by.... detaining & deporting the children alone ASAP. This is like "curing" cancer via mass execution of terminal cancer patients.

Rep. #Goodlatte, author of the #SecuringAmericasFutureAct, believes that keeping families together is a "random need" which should not be a consideration for our nation's immigration policy.

Has Trump really debased "family values" voters *this* badly?

#RepublicanFamilyValues

#SecuringAmericasFutureAct would massively explode mass detention of children, asylum seekers, and many others facing #deportation. This is a feature, not a bug. It is a gift to the Republican party's generous donors in the private prison industry.

usatoday.com/story/news/pol…

My worst fear of the Trump era: #GOP rushing something like #SecuringAmericasFuture before #BlueWave2018 & calling it #ImmigrationReform.

Oh, and that mystery "compromise" bill up against #SecuringAmericasFuture?

I'll risk it all on this hot pre-take:

It will also be bad.

But you know what *could* pass right now?

The #DREAMAct.

#DREAM has the Congressional votes, the bipartisan (~8/10 Americans!) popular support, and the moral and demographic urgency at a time when we desperately need a young US-educated workforce.

#Basta!

#CleanDREAMActNow

If you're still reading this thread, you're probably already the kind of person who knows how to do your part to stop a bad law. Be sure to let your elected reps know today that you don't want to live in the American future that #SecureAmericasFutureAct will bring.

/THREAD