Immigrant Justice Network Denounces Trump’s Expansion of Enforcement, Vows to Work with Communities to Reject Police-ICE Collaboration
Washington, DC – In response to President Donald Trump’s order to expand interior enforcement and increase 287(g) programs across the country, Oliver Merino, Coordinator for the Immigrant Justice Network, issued the following statement:
President Trump and his administration are once again pushing a dangerous agenda to target immigrant communities by increasing painful arrests and deportations through the expansion of 287(g) programs. This is a clear continuation of Trump’s deep legacy of xenophobia and racial profiling, aimed to deepen fear and insecurity in our immigrant communities nationwide.
In the first Trump administration, communities across the country recognized the dangers these agreements with law enforcement pose and organized against the 287(g) program. As Trump tries to turbocharge this program to carry out mass deportations, we stand ready to fight back against any attempt to expand the jail to deportation pipeline and will continue to advocate for policies that prioritize the dignity and rights of all people.
The 287(g) program deputizes local law enforcement to act as immigration agents, creating a dangerous environment where racial profiling and the criminalization of immigrants becomes normalized. These agreements have already led to the deportation of thousands of community members, tearing families apart and devastating communities. Trump’s expansion of this program would increase racial profiling across the country and attack the safety and dignity of immigrants and non-immigrants alike.
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