Before Congress has the “last word” on a possible protection for undocumented immigrants, the parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough must endorse a plan under the Reconciliation process , but has unleashed suspicions about a possible prejudice, due to her history as a lawyer in deportation proceedings.
The parliamentarian worked in what was the office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) , where deportation cases were previously processed.
Most legislators have not wanted to question a possible predisposition of MacDonough, but there are some, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), who consider that something “is happening there.”
The issue resurfaced in Congress after the follow-up that Latino Rebels made to a Politico report on MacDonough’s professional past, named in that position in 2012.
Activists in defense of immigrants have warned about a possible prejudice of the parliamentarian towards the undocumented , then to reject a first plan to grant citizenship to eight million people, including ‘dreamers’ and people with TPS.
He also rejected another proposal to modify the Registry Law that would give that possibility for those who arrived in the country before January 1, 2010 to obtain the ‘green card’.
“ As someone who has worked to deport people, (the parliamentarian) cannot be trusted to objectively decide on immigration matters “, Said the Center for Education and Legal Services for Refugees and Immigrants (RAICES) in a statement.
Erika Andiola, spokesperson for that organization, said that it should not be trusted” the faith of millions of immigrants in the hands of the parliamentarian. ”
If we had abolished the filibuster already, we wouldn’t have to put the faith of millions of immigrants at the hands of the parliamentarian (whom btw, used to work for the INS representing the gov and helping to deport ppl). But here we are. Playing by these senseless rules.
– Erika Andiola (@ErikaAndiola) November 4, 2021
The Politico report had anticipated that MacDonough was a lawyer for the Department of Justice with the control of immigration cases from a jail office in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
In 2012 was appointed by former Democratic Senator Harry Reid as head of the Parliamentary Office, but had already been working 13 years there.
The INS was the agency that preceded the Immigration and Control office Customs ( ICE ), created in 2002 after the terrorist attack in New York.
In the next few days, MacDonough will decide on the plan of grant a pardon or ‘parole’ to deportation to undocumented persons , in addition to Employment Authorization.