Washington, D.C. – Today, Donald Trump began his term of terror by announcing a slate of anti-immigrant executive orders as part of his destructive crusade against immigrants and the communities they’re a part of across the country. Among his first announcements, Trump pledged to unleash the military against families seeking safety at the border, invoke an over 200-year-old law to target immigrants all across the country for mass deportations, and reinstate heinous policies like Remain in Mexico, while also attacking the 14th Amendment. Immigrant young people refuse to back down in the face of these threats and call on all elected officials at all levels and allies to immediately and boldly reject Trump’s deportation machine.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream said:
“Trump and his terror team have proven time and again that they could care less about everyday people, workers, and American families and will spend the next four years actively trying to destroy our lives. Trump’s pledges to carry out mass raids and deportations will have devastating consequences on communities nationwide, leaving millions of families and individuals in disarray and chaos if immediate action is not taken by our elected officials to publicly fight back. None of us is made safer or better off because Trump and the billionaires running our government with him, have unleashed ICE and the military to rip children from their classrooms, workers from their worksites, and family members from their homes.
Make no mistake: immigrant youth are prepared to meet this moment with courage and resilience. From hosting Know Your Rights, Know Your Power trainings for our communities to launching a host of nationwide actions aimed at demanding our elected officials shore up protections now, we are not backing down – not now, not ever. Let our leadership in the face of Trump’s horror be a reminder to our elected officials at every level that the responsibility to keep our communities safe is not on us alone; Members of Congress, Governors, Mayors, City Councils and others, all have a role to play to meet this moment with the urgency it demands to protect millions of families whose lives Trump is hellbent on destroying. Today and everyday, they must refuse to yield to Trump’s terror and choose to show up for immigrants and all communities.”