FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@freedomforimmigrants.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to President Trump’s anticipated signing of the Laken Riley Act into law today, and a slew of recent executive orders that seek to scapegoat, detain, and deport immigrants through extremist criminalizing policies and immigration detention expansion, Laura Hernández, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants, issued the following statement.
“The Laken Riley Act is vile, opportunistic legislation that will further the scapegoating of immigrants and effectively stamp out our fundamental rights to due process. Not only is this a huge miscarriage of justice, it is a gross negligence of basic humanity. This bill calls for the arrest, detention, and deportation of immigrants, without access to bail or due process, for charges as simple as burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. Convictions do not matter here — a simple arrest will do. The bill sends a dangerous signal to law enforcement: It’s open season to ramp up the targeting, racial profiling, arrests, and detention of Black and Brown communities.
“We strongly condemn the passage of the Laken Riley Act and the increased immigration detention that will result from it, as well as the increased family separation and private prison profiteering. This cruel act comes on the heels of a slew of executive orders that, among other directives, further criminalize migration, eliminate due process, expand expedited removal, entangle immigration with the unjust criminal system to an even greater extent, and expand the deadly immigration detention system. Together, these policies further embed systemic racism and the vilification of communities of color into our laws. They represent an immigration system motivated by racist fear-mongering and confusion, rather than justice, fairness, and human dignity.
“We remain committed to our fight for the liberation of all. We will continue to organize and fight back against anti-immigrant policies and continue our work of building a world free from cages of any kind.”
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Freedom for Immigrants is an abolitionist organization working to end immigration incarceration by organizing with and following the leadership of currently and formerly incarcerated immigrants. We’re building a future in which all people can move freely and thrive. Learn more at www.freedomforimmigrants.org/.