Noorani Responds to Democrats’ Immigration Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A proposal to repeal the law that makes “illegal entry” into the United States a crime featured prominently in Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate.

The law, Section 1325 of Title 8 of the U.S. Code, makes it a misdemeanor for immigrants to enter the U.S. unauthorized. While the law itself was adopted in 1929, it has only recently become widely prosecuted.

The following is a statement from Ali Noorani, Executive Director of America is Better:

“The current application of this immigration law — under which we overprosecute immigration offenses — overwhelms courts and leads to unnecessary family separation. However, prosecutors need a full range of tools to be able to address serious violations.

“The answer to overcriminalization and overprosecution is to ensure that law enforcement — including the Department of Homeland Security — use their discretion to prioritize safety threats, not to strike statutes whole hog.”

ActionFund

Comments are closed.