Civil and Human Rights Coalition Condemns Proposed Mass Deportations as Contrary to American Ideals and Devastating to Families
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Oprah Cunningham, [email protected]
WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on mass deportations:
“Immigrants helped build this country. Immigrants are family members, neighbors, colleagues, and contributors to our communities and our economy, and they are part of what makes America great. The incoming Trump administration does not care. The president-elect has called for a violation of U.S. law and the Constitution to address a humanitarian crisis that requires problem-solving, not cruelty.
“We all know that our immigration system is broken and needs fixing. We have long called for comprehensive immigration reform that requires bipartisanship. Rather than promising solutions that keep families together, meet the needs of employers, and ensure an orderly process to be considered for entry into the country, the president-elect has made the radical and unconstitutional promise to deport immigrants who are lawfully residing in the United States along with those seeking asylum, refugees, and undocumented people. This is not only legally wrong, it would create a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions by failing to consider the need to keep families together, the plight of children, the real possibility of making immigrant women and girls more vulnerable to sex trafficking, and the value of immigrants to our economy and workforce.
“Nearly 4 million mixed-status families — including 8.5 million U.S. citizens, 5.1 million of whom are children — would face traumatic separations. Family members would endure immense emotional and economic hardship, losing loved ones and primary income earners. Communities would be torn asunder.
“Mass deportations are not the answer to the real solutions that we need to meet the legitimate concerns of communities struggling with challenges around migration. We have every ability to solve problems fairly and reasonably when we come together and meet them head on. Instead, the new administration scapegoats and divides, driving narratives and accusations that are tinged with stereotypes of immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, despite the presence of undocumented immigrants from European countries.
“Racial profiling is a civil rights violation, and this administration seems to suggest it will racially profile immigrants. Mass deportation is a racial justice issue. We cannot permit the possibility of immigrant camps as weigh stations for mass deportations reminiscent of Japanese internment camps or other reprehensible moments in our history.
“While we believe that civil and human rights should never be violated, these violations would also harm the economy. Estimates show that mass deportation would shrink the U.S. economy by nearly 6 percent, resulting in a loss of $1.6 trillion and costing the federal government more than $400 billion to implement. Industries such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality — all of which rely heavily on undocumented workers — would be decimated. This would trigger labor shortages, drive inflation, and cause food to rot in fields. Deporting skilled workers and entrepreneurs would contribute to economic hardship, undermining sectors critical to our economic growth. The consequences of this regressive policy would be felt in every sector, region, state, and home, leaving no part of American society untouched and upending our sense of who we are as a country and what we stand for.
“We urge lawmakers to speak out against mass deportation policies and instead pursue comprehensive reform that provides pathways to citizenship, keeps families together, and strengthens our economy. It is long past time that we have an immigration system that reflects the contributions of immigrants and aligns with our nation’s values of equal justice for all. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past, but instead forge a brighter, more unified future ahead.”
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
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