Trump’s Law and Order Policies Will Put Communities of Color At Risk
January 20, 2025
Washington, DC – Ahead of the inauguration of President Trump on January 20, Advancement Project has released this statement from executive director Judith Browne Dianis regarding likely upcoming changes to policies around policing and criminalization of communities of color:
“Under the incoming administration, President Trump will rescind President Biden’s 2022 executive order on policing aiming to curtail police abuse and misconduct. While this executive order didn’t go far enough to confront the national crisis of violent policing, it did contain important steps towards police accountability and we cannot go backwards. Rescinding it will put Black, Latinx, AAPI, and Indigenous people at further risk from the terror of police violence.
President Trump intends to double down on ‘law and order’ policies that encourage more aggressive policing in communities of color. He will likely sign executive orders promoting the expansion of federal powers over local police departments, which could push for more militarized tactics in everyday policing. This means that everyday encounters like traffic stops could become even more dangerous, leading to an increase in police murders of Black people.
Local police departments will work hand in hand with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to terrorize immigrant communities. They will conduct raids, detain people, and make it impossible for immigrants and mixed-status families to feel safe as they go about their lives. Black immigrants will be especially at risk, as any encounter with the police could end in deportation or detainment.
We can expect the surveillance powers of the police to expand under the incoming administration. Law enforcement will be handed the ability to monitor people through social media, which we know leads to racial profiling especially in communities of color. Intelligence-sharing between federal agencies and local law enforcement will also be strengthened under the next administration which leads to targeting individuals based on race, ethnicity, or immigration status.
These developments will be especially dangerous for those who choose to exercise their fundamental rights to speak freely and assemble. President Trump frequently characterizes protests as “criminal activities” or “riots”, creating a narrative that delegitimizes peaceful protests and portrays protestors as threats to public safety and national order. He intends to push for measures that increase sentencing or criminal charges for protest-related offenses. This will create a chilling effect where people might be scared to speak out.
We cannot allow this to happen. Our communities must come together and fight back against these dangerous policies and practices.”
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Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice.Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.
