Washington, DC — With just two weeks left until members of Congress return to DC to vote on Trump’s funding proposal, last night’s campaign style rally in Arizona stoked the flames of upcoming funding negotiations. Trump threatened to shut down the government if he does not receive money for the border wall, demonstrating yet again the high stakes showdown slated to take place in September.
The following is a statement by Mary Small, Policy Director for Detention Watch Network:
“Members of Congress must hold strong. We must recognize this for what it is: an anti-immigrant budget steeped in a deep rooted xenophobic ideology. Trump’s failure to unequivocally condemn white supremacists in the wake of Charlottesville and his continued signals that he will pardon the undeniably racist and corrupt Joe Arpaio make his agenda clear. Members of Congress can and should act as a check on Trump, starting with the budget.
In addition to the infamous border wall, Trump is planning to massively increase the number of people in detention to 51,000 on any given day. With numbers that high we can expect the US to lock up the equivalent of the entire population of New Orleans (roughly 400,000) over the course of a year. He also seeks to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol by nearly 20 percent. That’s tax dollars being spent on agencies that regularly lie, actively hide information from the public, and retaliate against anyone who speaks out.
Members of Congress have the opportunity to put the brakes on Trump’s agenda by opposing the racist and anti-immigrant funding proposal. Constituents want their tax dollars used to strengthen families and communities by investing in education, housing, nutrition and health care programs that provide opportunity and increase well-being. Our elected officials must divest from agencies that tear apart our families and terrorize our communities.”
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Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to expose and challenge the injustices of the United States’ immigration detention and deportation system and advocate for profound change that promotes the rights and dignity of all persons. Founded in 1997 by immigrant rights groups, DWN brings together advocates to unify strategy and build partnerships on a local and national level to end immigration detention. Visit www.detentionwatchnetwork.org. Follow @DetentionWatch.