FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2014

Contact: Andrea Alford, (202) 548-6616, aalford@aclu.org

WASHINGTON – Tonight, President Obama will announce a package of executive actions that could temporarily shield more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Below are preliminary thoughts from ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero:

“The ACLU supports the President for taking necessary action to restore some fairness to our broken immigration system, and to place limits on the devastating deportation machine that has torn apart countless families for too long. Now, millions of people, who have lived under the daily threat of deportation for years, can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

However, President Obama’s executive actions are not a complete solution to the problems plaguing this system. We are extremely concerned about the rights of all six million immigrants excluded from deportation relief, including those who are long-standing neighbors in our communities. Today’s executive actions will also result in more militarization in Southwest border communities, without increasing accountability measures for Customs and Border Protection, the nation’s largest and most dangerous police force. We’re disappointed because at the height of CBP’s crisis of abuses, the White House is requesting more border-security resources, more boots on the throats of border residents.

Today we celebrate with immigrant families around the country, but tomorrow, we join our fellow advocates, organizers and movement leaders to continue the fight for the six million immigrants left unprotected as well as for residents in Southwest border communities – citizen and immigrant alike.”