Pro-immigration leaders speak against Trump’s immigration plan

After the multiple executive orders signed and policy decisions made by President Donald Trump since he took office in January, political leaders, organizations and activists are voicing their concerns, especially on immigration and the safety of the country. 

Last week Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) said Trump is using immigrants as props, andt as an immigrant himself, he understands the attack thousands of immigrants are facing. 

“Most people that are fleeing to the United States are fleeing because their family is sick, they need work, they're hungry and they want to build a better life for their family, just like everybody else here,” Garcia said during a recent town hall meeting in Long Beach.  

While Trump’s campaign promise was to deport all undocumented criminals, as soon as he took office he started deporting even those who had no crime history. They are “collateral” damage, as Trump’s border czar Tom Homan calls them.

Pro-immigrant organizations and leaders also met up virtually last week during the virtual press event “Beyond the Immigration Headlines,” focusing on the latest developments in immigration policy. They agreed that the growing consequences of mass deportation efforts are a domino effect that impacts many sectors. This includes labor shortages, driving up consumer costs and weakening essential programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, said that the mass deportations mark a dangerous and unprecedented escalation. 

“From the abduction of a Tufts student in broad daylight to the targeting of individuals with legal status, enforcement is increasingly about instilling fear rather than ensuring security,” said Cárdenas. “The economic and human costs are mounting, and it’s clear this reckless agenda is making our country less safe, less prosperous, and less true to its values.” 

Fighting to stay in the U.S.

Despite the strong message to immigrants from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristy Noem to welcome those who abide by the rules of immigration, the Trump administration is taking other actions. It recently declared “categorical” humanitarian parole unlawful. It froze these processes and later stopped processing any applications for work permits or other forms of status made by those here under humanitarian parole, explained Karen Timplin, founder and director of Justice Action Center.  

Timplin said the Justice Action Center and Human Rights First are suing Trump’s actions.

 “Our clients – and those like them – have done everything the government has asked of them, providing bank statements, conducting interviews, waiting for their visas and more,” she said. “All they ask is that the government hold up its end of the bargain.” 

While the effort to carry out mass deportations continues, on Monday a federal judge paused Trump’s effort to strip Venezuelans from their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). There are about 600,000 Venezuelans with TPS, which protects them from deportation and allows them to obtain a work permit.

Michael Ettlinger, senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said Trump’s actions worry undocumented immigrants when it comes to filing their income tax returns. The Trump administration said they want to tap into IRS databases to see who is undocumented. Ettlinger said that up until now these immigrants have been abiding the law, paying taxes and filing tax returns. 

“These millions of taxpayers are the least likely to be engaging in criminal behavior,” said Ettlinger. “Targeting them puts the lie to any claim that Trump and his underlings are focused on deporting criminals.”

Congressman Garcia said that the best way to advocate is to get involved with local and state governments. 

“We have to continue to organize in our cities and in our states to support, particularly when the federal government's is choosing not to engage, those are places that we can support,” he said.