WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, the Trump administration announced an executive order that expands its ability to separate families, detain immigrant community members, and undermine public safety. The order targets “sanctuary” jurisdictions that decline to use their resources for immigration enforcement and requires the Department of Homeland Security and the attorney general to publicly list these jurisdictions, suspend their federal funding, and potentially pursue legal action against them.

Shayna Kessler and Nicole Melaku, co-leaders of the Fairness to Freedom campaign for universal representation, issued the following statements:

Shayna Kessler, director of the Advancing Universal Representation initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice, said: “Research shows that there is no connection between immigration and crime, and courts have repeatedly affirmed that the federal government may not coerce state and local jurisdictions into using their scarce resources for immigration enforcement. This principle should continue to be affirmed, and communities should continue allocating their limited resources into where they belong: building safe communities, ensuring good jobs, supporting thriving schools, and keeping families together.”

Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans, said: “While parading as a national security measure and a crackdown on cities that ‘obstruct’ immigration enforcement, this executive order is actually an attack on immigrant families and our communities’ efforts to promote public safety and build trust in local law enforcement. Research shows that communities are safer and economies are stronger in jurisdictions that use their resources to support immigrant communities. The real threat to public safety isn’t our immigrant neighbors or the cities seeking to keep them safe—it’s cynical policies that sow fear, separate families, and destabilize communities.”

###

Fairness to Freedom: The Campaign for Universal Representation was launched by the National Partnership for New Americans and the Vera Institute of Justice in April 2022 with a coalition of over 200 organizations and legal service providers. The campaign’s goal is to support the passage of the Fairness to Freedom Act to establish a federal right to representation for all immigrants facing deportation.