FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Latest Trump Immigration Attack Will Make Bad Problems Worse, Advocates Say

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday said he will seek legislation to further limit immigrants’ access to federally-funded healthcare, nutrition, housing, and anti-poverty initiatives. Since the specific proposal he made — a 5-year ban for immigrants — has been law for twenty years, it’s likely that his remarks signal an attack on access for U.S. citizen children of immigrants or other broad attacks on working families that go far beyond the safety net.  Those comments are consistent with a draft executive order leaked to media months ago but has not been signed.

Anti-hunger advocates, anti-poverty groups, faith leaders, advocates for immigrants, and advocates for diversity reacted Friday, issuing the following statement:

“This latest attack on America’s immigrant heritage makes serious problems worse. Just for starters, a renewed attack on immigrant families will drive up child poverty, deny kids and families health care, increase hunger and homelessness, and keep kids out of school.

The good news is that President Trump can’t just do whatever he wants. America needs leaders in Congress to pump the brakes. They must all demand answers. How would this policy work? How many U.S. citizens will lose healthcare if it’s adopted? How many will become homeless? How many kids will be kept out of school?

We stand with lawmakers who have the courage to stand with hardworking families and against the latest Trump Administration attack on America’s immigrant heritage.”

Signatories to the statement include:

1. Asian Americans Advancing Justice
2. Asian Health Services
3. California Immigrant Policy Center
4. CASA (Maryland)
5. Center for Law and Social Policy
6. Children’s Alliance (Washington)
7. Community Catalyst
8. First Focus
9. Food Research & Action Center
10. Legal Council for Health Justice (Illinois)
11. Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
12. Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
13. National Education Association
14. National Health Law Program
15. National Immigration Law Center
16. National WIC Association
17. NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
18. New York Immigration Coalition
19. Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
20. The Legal Aid Society
21. The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization
22. Western Center on Law and Poverty

# # #