April 26, 2017
Los angelers,CA – Today, in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s Formal roll-out of the “VOICE” initiative, the following organizations – ACLU of California, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – California, California Immigrant Policy Center, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and National Day Laborer Organizing Network– issued the statement below:
The President’s callous exploitation of isolated tragedies for political and ideological gain is profoundly irresponsible.
The administration, in lockstep with nativist and white supremacist groups, is trying to demonize millions of people who are a vital part of our communities. This fear-mongering, Orwellian program has one aim: to drum up support for mass deportations that will tear apart families and communities across the country.
Let’s be clear: if someone who comes into contact with our justice system happens to be an immigrant, they should receive the same treatment as anyone else, not additional punishment simply because of their immigration status.
The path to true healing and safety is rooted in reconciliation and rehabilitation, not rhetoric that dehumanizes and demonizes whole communities. We are committed to protecting families and communities across California from Trump’s cruel deportation machine.
The administration has already experienced a string of failures, with other anti-immigrant, pro-scapegoating policies blocked by the courts or shelved over glaring inaccuracies. Similarly, we believe that this program will ultimately end up where it belongs: in the dustbin of history.