FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2020
CONTACT
Hayley Burgess, 202-805-0375, burgess@nilc-ijf.org
WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, April 20, President Trump announced that he would be signing an executive order to ban all immigration to the United States. Details of the executive order have not been released. Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s latest executive order would be his latest attempt to place blame on immigrants as a tactic to distract from his failures as president. We are in a national public health and economic crisis that requires leadership and action to support the tens of millions of Americans who have lost their jobs and the families of the tens of thousands of Americans who have died. States are competing against each other for vital resources, including tests and hospital supplies, and communities are struggling to meet unprecedented needs.
“Millions of immigrants are risking their lives every day doing essential jobs to keep us all healthy and safe, from health care work to food production and distribution. If the COVID-19 public health crisis has taught us anything, it’s that we are all in this together. The virus does not discriminate based on race, age, or immigration status, nor is it blocked by man-made borders or immigrant bans.
“We don’t need more fearmongering and xenophobic scapegoating. Let us not be distracted from the real work before us: We need to ensure that everyone — regardless of their birthplace — has access to the testing, health care, and economic relief they need. We will get through this catastrophe only if we come together to take care of everyone in our communities and cooperate globally to find a vaccine as soon as possible.
“Trump’s latest executive order targeting immigrants makes clear why he is incapable of leading this country at this critical moment in our history — and also why we can’t afford to be distracted by more of his blame, division, and failed leadership.”
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