Trump’s Extreme Immigration Orders Will Be Costly, Ineffective, and Harmful

NILC is prepared to use all resources to defend our communities and rights

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump today signed several executive orders related to immigration and border security. Trump is mandating the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and wildly increasing resources for detention and deportation, while cutting resources for other immigration processes and for localities that have adopted immigrant-welcoming policies. Trump is also undercutting refugee resettlement programs and visa entry programs to effectively ban the entry into the U.S. of certain people based on their religion.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement in response to today’s orders:

“President Trump campaigned on a hateful, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, and anti-Muslim vision for America—a vision that, through his actions today, could become an extremely harsh reality. These executive orders will be costly, ineffective, and harmful, and they’ll have devastating consequences for all of us.

“Trump’s orders demand that local police become de facto immigration agents and authorize a supersizing of the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, all while freezing the hiring of immigration judges. This will result in a monumental waste of taxpayer money and will create chaos in our immigration system and courts.

“Today’s actions are the first steps taken to implement a deeply troubling agenda that criminalizes people based on where they’re from and what they believe. They not only contradict our most cherished values as Americans and defy the Constitution, they don’t begin to address our country’s real needs.

“We need an immigration system that upholds our longstanding commitment to welcoming and providing for those who seek safety and opportunity, as previous generations have done. And we need to ensure that all newcomers to our country can contribute fully to our communities and economy. Finally, we need Washington to get out of the way of states and localities that have recognized that inclusive policies move everyone forward together and keep communities safe.

“To justify today’s orders, Trump has relied on repeatedly debunked lies pedaled by nativists. At the National Immigration Law Center, we know and value the facts. We are committed to using all our resources to stand with our families and communities—including by challenging these unconstitutional orders in the courts. Together, we will resist and fight to bring out the truth about our communities, our economy, and our borders.”

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