For Immediate Release
Contact: SG Sarmiento, sgsarmiento@ndlon.org
NDLON REACTION to AG Sessions Remarks
(Sacramento, CA) – In reaction to Attorney General Sessions’ remarks during the White House press briefing today, Salvador G. Sarmiento, Legislative Director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) issued the following statement:
“The Trump Administration appears to be good at doing two things: stoking fear and issuing threats. Today, Jeff Sessions did both in a blatant effort to change the story. Immigrant-bashing has been Trump’s most potent political weapon, and now sanctuary city-bashing is apparently Session’s top priority.
“The racist exploitation of tragedy helped propel Trump into office; and since occupying the White House, the Trump Administration has persisted in a divisive effort to make citizens scared of non-citizens and to make immigrants scared of government. The Trump Administration is now trying to make sanctuary cities scared too. Today, AG Sessions is bullying sanctuary cities by threatening to withhold money. Tomorrow, the head of Trump’s deportation force will take the unprecedented step of lobbying against California’s SB-54, proposed legislation to wall off immigration from criminal law enforcement.
“Federal courts will vindicate the rights of cities to refuse Trump’s deportation agenda. They will also likely find Trump’s deportation policies in flagrant violation of the Constitution. But make no mistake about it: the political battle lines that have been drawn are between courage and fear. Now is a time to affirm our shared values.”
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