Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer today released the following statement on the close of the fifth annual Immigration Heritage Month:

“Immigrant Heritage Month celebrates the fact that the United States is a nation of immigrants, built by immigrants. Sadly, too many people in positions of power have forgotten this core facet of America’s identity, or worse, are working to end it.

During June, I met parents who haven’t seen their children in months because of policies put in place by the Trump Administration. I spoke to children who fled life-threatening situations in other countries and came here, only to face legal hurdles and government machinery set against them by the Department of Homeland Security. I voted against Republican bills which offered no relief to families separated by Trump’s zero tolerance policy, and which treated Dreamers as hostages to be given protection only in exchange for funding Trump’s border wall.

Immigrants have been an essential part of our country’s economy and culture since the Revolution, and remain so today. The good news is that most Americans cherish immigrant heritage, and oppose the xenophobic policies being pushed by the White House which betray our nation’s values. The outcome of this moral struggle will define what the United States represents to the world for decades to come.”