Immigration advocates are denouncing a U.S. House budget resolution for siphoning billions of dollars from social safety net programs into increases in defense spending, border security and ongoing deportation efforts.
“If passed, this budget bill would leave millions of Americans, including children, without health care, life-saving food assistance and other vital services, while extending massive tax cuts to billionaires,” the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign said about the plan that also would cut taxes on the wealthy.
“These proposals trade programs that families rely on to survive for policies that will separate children from their parents, return refugees to danger, and destabilize communities across the country,” a statement from the campaign said.
The House Budget Committee approved the resolution Feb. 13 and a floor vote is expected soon. The Senate is still working its way through two resolutions, one to cut taxes and the other to deal with spending increases and cuts.
The plan would provide $4.5 trillion in tax cuts mostly for wealthy Americans and increase the federal deficit by $4 trillion.
The House plan calls for nearly $4 trillion in cuts across much of the federal government, including $880 billion from the House Energy and Commerce Committee which oversees Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, $330 billion from the Education and Workforce Committee which covers child nutrition and education programs, and $230 billion from the Agriculture Committee which finances the SNAP food assistance program.
The reductions would offset increases in other areas over the coming decade, including $100 billion for defense and $90 billion for homeland security. The plan also would provide $4.5 trillion in tax cuts mostly for wealthy Americans and increase the federal deficit by $4 trillion.
Trump praised the Republican-controlled House on social media for proposing a budget truly reflective of the MAGA movement, adding he prefers it over the Senate approach of passing tax breaks and spending priorities separately.
The “House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it! We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to ‘kickstart’ the Reconciliation process and move all of our priorities to the concept of, “ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.” It will, without question, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
But critics say the proposed House budget will only make America more fearful, hungry and immoral.
Amy Fischer
“Members of Congress must reject any budget package that funds the Trump administration’s border militarization and deportation machine,” said Amy Fischer, director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at Amnesty International USA. “The U.S. is not failing to find solutions because it has limited capacity, too few resources or too many people coming. The U.S. is failing because our leaders prefer to score political points from racist, white supremacist rhetoric than actually listen to impacted communities and invest in solutions that work.”
Kate Jastram
If it were to become law, the budget would make life even harder for families already struggling to pay health care and grocery costs, said Kate Jastram, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies.
“This is a morally bankrupt proposal that will tear families apart, endanger refugees and devastate our communities,” she said. “This budget will benefit no one but the billionaires receiving tax cuts and the private prison companies and military contractors profiting off the suffering of immigrants and people seeking asylum.”
Guerline Jozef, executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, said the proposed budget is an extension of the Trump administration’s anti-Black and anti-immigrant agenda.
Guerline Jozef
“The impact will not be limited to immigrant communities that contribute widely to the economy, it will dramatically affect the American families that are already struggling. These are cruel tactics that will leave the entire country to grapple with instability,” she warned.
Advocates are calling on Congress to reject the budget, she added. “No matter what your political stance is, this is the time to come together and protect the working-class communities and the farmers and save the lives of those who are vulnerable.”
The proposed budget is “a betrayal of our core American values,” said Laura St. John, legal director at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.
“The budget being considered by lawmakers provides billions of dollars for cruel, anti-immigrant detention and deportation operations, while cutting funding that many people rely on to put food on the table and seek medical care,” St. John said. “We urge members of Congress to reject funding for family separation, deportation and detention and instead pass a budget that properly reflects our values.”
Instead of focusing on tax cuts for wealthy Americans and deporting immigrants, legislators should focus on spending that helps communities thrive, said Kimiko Hirota, associate director of policy at Church World Service.
“The proposed budget resolutions shamefully cut Medicaid and food stamps in exchange for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and widespread immigration raids. We want to build neighborhoods of belonging where all people feel safe going to work, school, the doctor’s office, or places of worship.”