Statement from Senator Espaillat Following Meeting with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina

"I want to thank President Medina for meeting with Assemblyman Phil Ramos and I to discuss the Dominican Republic’s recent Constitutional Court decision regarding citizenship requirements. I appreciate the President’s willingness to maintain an open dialogue as this issue progresses, and to continue to brief the Dominican-American community on the court ruling’s implementation status."

Many rumors have emerged following this decision, and I applaud President Medina’s leadership and efforts towards dispelling these fears. His assurances that there will be no mass deportations, and that the civil rights of all people impacted by the court decision will be respected goes a long way towards calming recent tensions.

The Washington Heights neighborhood I represent remains the heart of the Dominican diaspora, and this development is a concern to countless families in my district. The more than 40 United States elected officials of Dominican Heritage stand ready to assist in resolving this issue, and I look forward to the additional meetings with members of President Medina’s cabinet in New York or Washington, DC as we discussed.”

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Additional details on Senator Adriano Espaillat’s meeting with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina can be found here.