Turning Hatred and Xenophobia Into Policy Is Wrong, Immoral and Anti-American
Washington – Following reports that Donald Trump will move forward on an executive action that would discriminatorily lock out Muslim Immigrants from the country, expand fencing along the border, and persecute cities that protect immigrants, Advancement Project, a multi-racial civil rights organization, released the following statement:
“The announcement of such bigoted policies will serve as justification for the implementation of other forthcoming actions such as registrations, raids, detentions, and deportations of immigrants and refugees from Muslim countries, Central America, and beyond,” said Fahd Ahmed, Executive Director of DRUM – South Asian Organizing Center, a multigenerational, membership led organization of low-wage South Asian immigrant workers and youth in New York City. “With all that is coming down the pipeline, it is critical that we invest our energies in protecting our communities, and also building the relationships and bonds with each other across communities to fight back.”
“Trump ran on explicit race-based and xenophobic hatred,” said María Rodríguez, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, an Advancement Project partner. “Without missing a beat, he has turned that hatred into policy on his first week as president.”
“Inflicting pain on Muslim and immigrant communities is not a sign of strength, but of fear,” added Rodríguez. “Unfortunately for Donald Trump and the minority of voters that support him, immigrant communities and allies are well past the point of being afraid. Our movements will band together – we will love and protect our Muslim brothers and sisters as we resist, grow, and make sure that this is the last grasp of White supremacy.”
“It was clear from the beginning that the slogan, ‘Make America Great Again,’ was a call to white nationalists and a nod to exclusionary policies that target people of color,” said Flavia Jiménez, Managing Director at Advancement Project’s national office and Program Director for Immigrant Justice. “A ban on Muslim immigrants and the persecution of cities standing up for immigrants will be remembered as one of our country’s low points. Further, these actions cannot be divorced from Trump’s threat to further criminalize Black people by over-policing our communities. This moment demands that everyone – neighbors, supporters, everyday people, and especially those in power – come forward and reject the policies and rhetoric of hatred. We are a country that welcomes people seeking shelter.”
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Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
