FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2018
Contact: Erin Williams, ewilliams@faithinaction.org
(202) 748-0699
WASHINGTON, DC — Tonight, President Trump will address the nation regarding his upcoming visit to the U.S. – Mexico border on Thursday. Richard Morales, policy and program director for LA RED, Faith in Action’s campaign focused on immigrant rights, issued this statement:
“The lies around Trump’s false claims of a security threat at our southern border to advance his anti-immigrant hatred will not work. However, because of his selfish ego to build an ineffective ‘wall’ to scare away brown-skinned immigrants, the shutdown is now in its third week, hurting 800 thousand workers and community members across the nation who can not access important government services.
“Besides billions for an ineffective wall, the administration is asking for billions of dollars more to fund mass detention and deportation. The border wall harms border communities, devastates the environment and wildlife, and is deadly for migrants. We will continue to fight against border militarization that includes continued funding by both parties for more detention beds, more deportation agents and surveillance technology. The wall is immoral, as is the continued funding of family separation and violence towards immigrants.
“Nothing about Trump’s plan is rational. He and his allies have yet to present a plan for these funds, and it is clear that he wants to use the partial government shutdown to further an agenda of white supremacy. Instead of letting Trump have a wall to end his temper tantrum, Congress should say, ‘Enough!”
“Let’s stop the militarization of our border, advanced by false statistics and scare tactics. Let’s reopen the government so that hundreds of thousands of workers can receive their paychecks, and proceed to a real discussion about the humanitarian needs at the border and real commonsense immigration reforms that voters support for our nation and embody our values of community.”
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Faith in Action, formerly known as PICO National Network, is the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. The nonpartisan organization works with 1,000 religious congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 46 local and state federations. For more information visit www.faithinaction.org.
