Today, President Trump signed two executive orders that have confirmed fears of the divisive and bigoted rhetoric of his campaign and has now led to devastating policies. These executive orders will endanger immigrants and create fear in immigrant communities.
The executive orders will direct federal resources towards building a wall at the U.S. border, increasing the detention of migrants seeking entry into the United States, including refugees fleeing violence in Central America. The executive orders also strengthen interior enforcement against immigrants, increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers by five thousand and strip federal funding from local governments that are welcoming to undocumented immigrants.
These policies are not based on national security but in Islamophobia and xenophobia. This is a radical attack on all immigrants which lacks compassion and violates the values of our country.
We all want safer communities, and cities adopt welcoming policies in order to protect and ensure public safety not policies that divide or instill fear. By maintaining positive relationships between local law enforcement and immigrants, communities become safer for everyone.
This is not America. This is not who we are or what we stand for. We can and must do better than this.
