It was a long road to get to this point, but on Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed my Access to Counsel Act! And in a few moments, I will ask you to chip in toward our fight to send this necessary bill to President Biden's desk. But first, I hope you'll give me a chance to explain how we arrived at this important moment for our people-first movement.
The Access to Counsel Act is personal to me because it was the very first bill I introduced when I came to Congress in 2017.
I was thrilled that the voters of Washington's 7th District had placed their trust in me to serve as their voice in Congress — but I arrived at an uncertain time in Washington, DC. One of Donald Trump's first actions as president was to make good on his campaign promise of a racist, xenophobic, and outright unconstitutional Muslim ban, unleashing chaos at airports across the country as people from seven Muslim-majority countries were detained for hours without food or water before being deported.
That's why I rushed to the airport to help. And it's why I took urgent action back in Congress to introduce the Access to Counsel Act, which guarantees that American citizens, green card holders, and others with legal status can talk to an attorney if Customs and Border Protection detains them for longer than an hour.
But it wasn't just the events of 2017 that showed us how transformative the passage of this bill could be. Early last year, more than 200 people of Iranian descent were detained at the northern border in Blaine, Washington, for up to 12 hours with no access to counsel. These lengthy detentions occurred while CBP repeatedly and falsely denied that Iranian Americans were being targeted.
I never want to see that happen again. I am proud that the House passed my legislation as we continue the work necessary to ensure that Trump's policies of maximum harm are never again inflicted on immigrants, reverse the damage done, and build a humane immigration system. And this exciting moment of progress happened on the same day as the passage of the NO BAN Act, which will prevent future presidents from enacting another Muslim ban or another discriminatory ban again.
These victories would not have been possible without your support and the tireless work of immigrant rights organizers on the ground. But we can't rest until we get these bills through the Senate and to President Biden's desk. Will you chip in $3 or more toward our push to get this done?
I came to this country alone when I was just 16 years old, so I'd have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream — the same American Dream that has drawn countless immigrants to this country and led to our nation's success. That's why I will never stop fighting for a just and humane immigration system that welcomes immigrants into our communities and treats them with the respect and dignity that we all deserve.
In solidarity,
Pramila