WASHINGTON, D.C.-- This morning, during the Senate Judiciary hearing, we heard a brave testimony from Sierra Leonean DACA recipient Foday Turay, an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, who came to the U.S. when he was just 7 years old. Coming from a mixed-status family, Foday shared how his family’s life would be rocked if he were deported, including being unable to care for his disabled mother-in-law. “I feel the consequences of mass deportation on a personal level, on a community level, and on a societal level,” he said.
At a time when our communities are struggling to meet their most basic needs, with millions struggling to afford housing, groceries, and find employment, Trump went after what, for many, is their last shred of security: their family. Family is not only an American value; it’s the thing that unites people from across the world—it’s what makes us human. It is our most basic need.
For the estimated 4 million families in the U.S. with mixed immigration status, Trump’s words are not just talk, but the building blocks for a devastating life without their loved ones. What is an administration fueled by fear? What is an administration that brazenly tears apart America’s families to push forward inhumane and ineffective policies? Mass deportations separate families. Mass deportations increase the price of groceries. Mass deportations increase crime. Mass deportations increase unemployment.
Despite his claims, President Trump does have a choice—and he is choosing a more dangerous, unaffordable, and unsustainable America for all.