Dem rep: Trump’s DACA demands ‘lack basic humanity’

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) slammed President Trump’s demands for DACA legislation as “anti-immigrant” and lacking “basic humanity.”

Castro called on Congress to reject “this warped, anti-immigrant policy wish list” in a statement after the White House released the proposals on Sunday evening.

{mosads}“The White House wants to use Dreamers as bargaining chips to achieve the administration’s deportation and detention goals. President Trump and his team extol the importance of strong families, yet they propose keeping parents and children separated,” Castro said in the statement.

Castro said the Trump administration was trying to “cut opportunities for legal immigration” instead of “welcoming people from around the world” who want to work in the U.S.

“Building a wall across America would be ineffective, a waste of taxpayers’ money, and a political stunt,” Castro said.

“Immigrants are humans; we should craft policies that threat them as such. The Trump Administration’s proposals lack basic humanity.”

Other Democrats have similarly criticized the proposals, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) also accused Trump of trying to “demonize immigrants” in the proposal.

“.@WhiteHouse immigration “priorities”: Rip families apart, demonize immigrants, hold #DREAMers hostage in exchange for a useless wall,” Hirono tweeted Sunday. 

.@WhiteHouse immigration “priorities”: Rip families apart, demonize immigrants, hold #DREAMers hostage in exchange for a useless wall

— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) October 8, 2017

The Trump administration on Sunday released its list of demands to be included in Congress’s DACA legislation, including a call for funding for Trump’s border wall to be included.

Trump also went after so-called sanctuary cities, calling for Congress to cut funding from states and cities that refuse to work with federal officials.

He also requested funding to hire thousands more immigration officers.