PRESS STATEMENTFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January25, 2017Contact person:
Cristina Garcia, (877) 683-2908, ext. 3
E-mail:
A Great America ShouldHonorand Protect Immigrants and Refugees
Alianza Americas urges the Trump Administration to uphold American values and protect hardworking immigrant families and children.
Chicago, IL –President Trump has indicated he will enact a series of Executive Orders over the next few days related to immigrants and refugees. Alianza Americas reminds the President that there is a high human and economic cost to pandering to the extremist anti-immigrant factions. Aggressive detention and deportation policies are expensive and counterproductive,if our goal is to increase national security. Tearing apart families also drives a wedge into communities, puts children at risk, and deprives the nation of talented and hardworking people.
Legislators from both parties should immediately speak out against any attempts to undo protections for the more than 730,000 young people who have benefited from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals known as DACA or any other measures that protect immigrant and refugee families and children or to attack cities providing sanctuary to people forced to migrate.Alianza Americas calls on the Congress to swiftly enact a legislative fix, if Mr. Trump proceeds with mean-spirited and economically damaging Executive Orders. Keeping families together an should not be a partisan issue.
In a statement, Oscar Chacón, Executive Director of Alianza Americas said:
President Trump does not have to take this path. If his goal is truly to make America great, he should start with recognizing that American greatness comes from being a diverse nation of immigrants. Immigrants contribute in thousands of ways to economic prosperity and the rich cultural fabric of our nation. We should not forget that people seek refuge here precisely because of our commitment to human rights and freedoms.
If Mr. Trump chooses instead to further demonize immigrants and refugees, we hope that legislators and the public will not be fooled by this naked attempt to distract people from the many real problems facing our country. There are plenty of opportunities to develop durable solutions and move away from failed policies that have led to unprecedented economic inequality in the US and around the world.
In light of possible administrative actions, Alianza Americas is committed to moving our members from the relatively passive state of “knowing our rights” to the active “Acting our Rights.” That will require specific investments in interactive community education that is linked to alliance-building, and rooted in respect for diversity. The base-building that takes place right now will lay the groundwork to enable immigrant communities to respond with creative, responsible solutions to the problems affecting US, as well as foreign born resident who live in the US.
Starting now, Alianza Americas and its members will convene community education and outreach to share information, and listen to families and young people. A top priority will be defending those at most risk of reprisals, specifically DACA recipients and Sanctuary cities. Children and families recently arrived in the US and seeking protection from violence and insecurity in Central America constitute a critically vulnerable group. Alianza Americas will continue to defend the right to humanitarian protection for all those who need it, including our brothers and sisters in Syria and other conflict-torn countries.
We are entering a time of great risk and uncertainty, but even now there are opportunities if we have the wisdom to seize them. We must connect with people of all races and faiths, who have many good reasons to be upset. Frustration with the status quo can be manipulated to divide us, but it can also enable us to unite and pursue a transformational agenda that benefits everyone, including immigrant communities. We urge people of good faith, all over the country, to reach out to the President and members of Congress and urge them to act humanely and wisely as they search for solutions to the many problems resulting from economic inequality.
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