FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2017
Contact: Kemi Bello, kbello@ilrc.org, (415) 321-8568
ILRC Statement on Draft National Guard Immigration Enforcement Memo
Today’s leaked memo around immigration enforcement provides a suggested and troubling blueprint for how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may implement the Border Enforcement memo that was signed earlier this month. The implications of this “militarization of immigration” memo are as vast as they are cruel, from potential and dramatic increases in the number of those detained and the speed at which people are deported to potential further declines in affordance of due process protections and access to applications for immigration relief.
The following statement was issued by Angie Junck, Supervising Attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:
“Less than a month into its term, this Republican administration has repeatedly used extremist approaches to stoke a climate of panic amidst our communities. In their totality, the rumored and confirmed executive orders and memos to date point to a witch hunt motivated by a fear of, rather than an embracing of, our differences as an American people.
Make no mistake – these actions to persecute and quite literally banish a wide swatch of Americans based on a variety of discriminatory factors, including where they were born or their chosen faith, signal a blatant disregard not only of our Constitution but also of the values of community and camaraderie that enable our nation to thrive.
In continued and heartwarming display of our national commitment to inclusion, over the past four weeks, millions of Americans of all stripes and backgrounds have spoken in support of and stood beside immigrants and refugees at our airports, outside of our courtrooms and places of faith, and in our streets.
From the multiple legal victories in our courts, declarations of sanctuary in jurisdictions across the country, and displays of solidarity like yesterday’s “Day without Immigrants”, it is clear that this administration is wildly out of touch with the will of the American people and the democracy that supports them.”
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About the Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, law enforcement, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC’s mission is to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. www.ilrc.org