Washington, DC – This week, the administration backed the RAISE Act, which would slash legal immigration and further restrict refugee admissions, an attempt to advance a white supremacist agenda at the cost of immigrants and refugees. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) released the following statement from Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, in response:
“Every day our immigrant and refugee communities face a new threat, a new reason to fear living in this country. The administration-backed RAISE Act is another damaging tactic that is not only laced with xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment but also part of a larger agenda to strengthen white supremacy under the guise of ‘America First.’ Let us not be fooled by the divisive narrative the right wing is painting of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ immigrant, and let us not forget that the countless contributions of immigrants and refugees continue to enrich our country at its core. We will not tolerate efforts such as these to scapegoat millions of people in our immigrant communities, and we will be steadfast in fighting for what we know to be right, to be true, and to value diverse people with dignity and respect.
“Every day our immigrant and refugee communities face a new threat, a new reason to fear living in this country. The administration-backed RAISE Act is another damaging tactic that is not only laced with xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment but also part of a larger agenda to strengthen white supremacy under the guise of ‘America First.’ Let us not be fooled by the divisive narrative the right wing is painting of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ immigrant, and let us not forget that the countless contributions of immigrants and refugees continue to enrich our country at its core. We will not tolerate efforts such as these to scapegoat millions of people in our immigrant communities, and we will be steadfast in fighting for what we know to be right, to be true, and to value diverse people with dignity and respect.
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| apala_condemns_the_raise_act.pdf |
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