FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2019
Contact: Jasmine Nazarett, jnazarett@communitychangeaction.org, 954-471-9080; Sheridan Aguirre, sheridan@unitedwedream.org, 202-793-2267; Yesenia Padilla, SBCC, yesenia@alliancesd.org, 415-269-3178; Nekessa Opoti, UndocuBlack Network, nekessa@undocublack.org, 612-460-0656
WASHINGTON, DC--After news outlets reported that some “immigrant rights groups” would be meeting with President Trump, Vice President Pence and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner on Thursday to discuss the Trump-McConnell deal, national networks representing immigrant rights groups across the country and along the Southern Border, FIRM Action, United We Dream, UndocuBlack Network and the Southern Border Communities Coalition issued the following statement in response:
“The groups negotiating behind the backs of immigrant communities don’t speak for the people actually affected by these policies. For those of us who represent and are accountable to immigrant communities helping Trump to advance his racist agenda is unconscionable.
“One of the Trump administration’s primary goals is to deport and destroy immigrant and refugee communities. Donald Trump took protections away from over one million people by ending the DACA and TPS programs, tear gassed children and put more than 800,000 federal workers plus an unknown number of government contractors out of work. In response to a crisis Trump created, they offered temporary, harmful solutions that walk back protections for children, families and further fund and militarize our borders.
“Now, a group of so-called ‘immigration advocates’ have agreed to serve as the White House’s puppets and help them advance their trojan horse deal. Groups actually representing immigrant and southern border communities are united in calling on Trump and Congress to reopen the government and shut down the racist wall. Together, we will continue to stand with immigrants and will fiercely defend our communities like we’ve been doing for decades.”
###
