Immigration Blog

So ends a transformative day of contrasts. We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of championing civil rights while watching President Trump claim to honor MLK’s dream, in part, by promising the largest mass deportation program since the Eisenhower administration. Whose vision of America will prevail?

The frequently repeated mantra “don’t believe what Trump says but watch what he does” has no application in the arena of immigration. His day 1 actions caught up with his rhetoric. Under the dubious title “Make America Safe Again” he is already “ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries, and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens.” See The Trump-Vance Administration Priorities. He is deploying the military to enforce immigration law.

Yet MLK’s achievements were earned in spite of militarized aggression, his arrest, and harassment. He fearlessly marched, defended his dream, and did not yield. In his example is our hope.

So begins the great defense of American immigrant families, American immigrant workers, refugees, and the definition of the American dream.