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Hispanic Federation Statement on Trump Administration’s (Anti) Immigration Reform Plan

NEW YORK, NY — Today, Hispanic Federation President José Calderón issued the following statement in response to Trump’s latest anti-immigration reform proposal:

“Over the last two years, President Trump and his administration have launched a series of attacks on communities of color designed to systemically undermine their interests and growing presence in our nation. Yesterday’s immigration proposal, designed largely by the chief anti-immigrant and xenophobe, Stephen Miller, is the latest step in a larger plan by this White House to make America less diverse. Trump’s immigration plan would cripple our economy by setting unrealistic quotas and restrictions that would decimate the labor force. The proposal is also an outright attack on our values and long held tradition of letting immigrants from all walks of life contribute and enrich our nation. If Trump’s anti-immigrant plan had been in full effect in the 19th and 20th century, millions of Italians, Germans and Irish and Polish people would have been denied entry to our country – and tens of millions of their descendants would have never been part of the vibrant American fabric and story that we know of today. Or, perhaps Trump would have chosen a different path back then because, as so much with this administration, race matters.

When you look at Trump’s rhetoric and actions – from the Muslim ban to Charlottesville, to ending programs like TPS and DACA, to denying American citizens on the island of Puerto Rico the disaster relief funds they so desperately need, to his abhorrent child separation policies, the intended effect always seems to be to lessen, intimidate and harm communities of color. The administration’s latest “immigration” plan would dramatically move our nation away from accepting immigrants based on family ties. By and large, this is how the vast majority of immigrants from Latin America, Asia and Africa have been able to legally enter our country over the past 50 years. It would also reduce the number of visas granted on humanitarian ground and do away altogether with the diversity visa lottery, which serves as an important pathway for African and Caribbean immigrants to lawfully enter the United States.

We fundamentally reject the President’s divisive policies and positions on the issue of immigration, and stand committed to fight for an America of E Pluribus Unum. It is that ideal – that we are stronger because of our diversity and commitment to inclusion – that has made our nation prosperous and inspires admiration in America and the world over."