New York, NY—In response to President Trump’s State of the Union, which featured several mentions of his immigration policy agenda, Steve Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition gave the following statement:
“President Trump’s State of the Union speech made one thing abundantly clear—we're going even further down the rabbit hole, and there's dark days ahead for America. By resurrecting the ugly xenophobia of his 2016 election campaign, he believes he can distract us from the impeachment inquiry and continue to provide cheap fodder to rile his base. Separating families, putting kids in cages, and ending protections for Dreamers have become the centerpiece of the President’s agenda to erode one of America’s greatest traditions — the opportunity to earn the American Dream
But this short-sighted win at all costs strategy is inherently at odds with American values. The American people have long supported commonsense and smart immigration solutions, not chaos and division. We can do better as the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. And New York, with its long history of international immigration, must continue to defend and protect its immigrant communities from federal policies designed to hurt and terrorize our vulnerable families.
Despite Trump's lies, New Yorkers know the truth - cities are safer by protecting basic constitutional rights and focusing on protecting local communities, instead of jailing families and stoking fear and division. We'll continue to make New York's streets safer and deliver on America’s promise of fairness and opportunity for all.