Issued January 11, 2017
WASHINGTON—SEIU International Executive Vice President and iAmerica Action President Rocio Sáenz issued the following statement following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination to be U.S. Attorney General:
“Sessions is unfit to serve as U.S. attorney general. His appalling record on civil rights, close ties to a well known hate group, and anti-immigrant rhetoric, should disqualify him from becoming the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
There is a lot at stake for immigrant families and U.S. citizens as well. At a time when the President-elect has signaled a turn towards mass deportation and separation of families, we need someone who will serve as a check on due process shortcuts and who will vigorously enforce civil rights laws. Unfortunately, everything we know about Senator Sessions suggests that he would do the opposite. We’ve seen the criminalization of immigrants, just as we’ve seen the criminalization of communities of color across the nation and we cannot depend on Sessions to protect and defend our communities.
Senator Sessions has a long history of working hand-in hand with white nationalists in blocking every attempt to fix our broken immigration system. Instead, he has called for building a wall, advocated for “self-deportation”, and is against sanctuary cities.
There is no doubt, confirming Sessions as U.S. attorney general will be a step backwards for all Americans, especially immigrant families."