FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES—Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States this morning, and with that comes what we expect to be a slate of new executive orders regarding immigrants and immigration. Taken together, this policy agenda presents a dystopian figure of mass deportation, border militarization, and family separation. Below is a statement from Justice Action Center Founder and Director, Karen Tumlin:
“The tone may change, but the message presented by the incoming administration’s policy agenda remains the same: to demonize and criminalize immigrant families, and to scare and silence allies who are in community with them.
“We know the truth: Immigrants are deeply rooted in all our communities and any harm to immigrants hurts all of us. We can have an orderly process for those seeking safety while also respecting the dignity and humanity of all people in our border region. We must reject scare tactics that seek to divide us.”
“The incoming administration will try to inundate us with dozens – if not a hundred – executive actions and orders aimed at criminalizing and tearing apart our communities. We are ready for this. Our attorneys know Trump’s game plan. We’ve defended immigrant-inclusive policies and stopped xenophobic attacks from Texas to Oregon and before judges of all political stripes. We carry out our work knowing that the heart of every lawsuit is a story: our clients can change conversations about inclusion and belonging because they are already leading the way.
“To our immigrant families, communities, and clients: We see you, we love you, and we will be here for you. Through strength, resilience, and creativity, we will build the inclusive society our communities deserve.”
# # #
Justice Action Center (JAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.