WASHINGTON, D.C. – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today’s final passage of the Reconciliation bill in the House of Representatives:

“The harms caused by our failed criminal justice and immigration systems are real, urgent, and affect every American. That is why, for decades, economists, criminologists, impacted families, and policy experts from across the political spectrum have shown conclusively that these systems fail to deliver safety, fairness, or economic opportunity. Reforming them is essential to any domestic policy agenda aimed at delivering a safer, freer, more prosperous and more just future for our country.

“Instead of rising to that challenge, this legislation will exacerbate harm. It slashes critical programs that millions of families rely on, including health care, community safety programs, nutrition, and education. These drastic cuts are being used to fund and supercharge an unpopular immigration enforcement blitz defined by unlawful overreach and increased criminalization, the targeting of immigrants with legal status and work authorizations, disappearances to foreign prisons, and a blatant disregard for the judiciary and due process rights.

“Stripping away the services that keep communities stable and healthy in order to expand enforcement policies that most Americans oppose is a mistake that will not lower costs for families or advance public safety. We need proven, forward-looking, sensible and popular immigration and criminal justice reforms that better reflect the will of the people, protect families and communities, and deliver lasting change.”