Washington, D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after House Republicans passed their shameful H.R. 2, the Child Deportation Act:

“With their Child Deportation Act, House Republicans once again made clear to the American people their extreme, ineffective, anti-immigrant agenda.  In voting for this despicable bill, Republicans voted to cruelly deport innocent children, set taxpayer dollars ablaze paying for a medieval border wall, and weaken law enforcement’s ability to combat fentanyl trafficking.

“Shamefully, the Republican Party has abandoned the spirit of Ronald Reagan, who said in his final speech as President: ‘If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.’  Today, the MAGA movement would rather use newcomers to our Nation as political pawns than work across the aisle to achieve the comprehensive immigration reform that America needs.

“With our U.S. Citizenship Act, House Democrats have put forth a meaningful proposal to secure our border by advancing humane and orderly border management, while respecting our heritage as a nation of immigrants.  As we move forward, Democrats will always honor this truth: the courage, vibrance and optimism of immigrants make America more American.”