Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson released the following statement on in response to President Trump’s new deportation rules:
“The administration’s directive to expand deportations allegedly aims to make our communities safe. It will in fact achieve the opposite while simultaneously weakening the nation’s economy and betraying our American values.
“District 24 is an immigrant-rich community and home to large populations of people from across the globe. The repercussions of mass deportations will split families apart and make undocumented immigrants vulnerable to various types of abuses, including racial profiling and human trafficking. When both legal and undocumented immigrants see something nefarious taking place, they won’t say anything for fear of being rounded up or putting a loved one in jeopardy. The trust we’ve worked so hard to build between immigrants and law enforcement will quickly erode.
“While it is true that some undocumented immigrants deserve deportation, the majority are law abiding people who contribute to the nation’s economy through their hard work. Instead of spending millions to deport them, wouldn’t the money be better spent on helping them live in the U.S. legally? Mass deportation is no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform.”
