The Trump administration plans to end temporary protections for Haitians early. It has sent nearly 200 detained migrants — some of whom arrived in the U.S. lawfully — to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and is deporting people to countries other than their countries of origin, raising safety concerns.
It also has reassigned personnel from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to focus on deportations rather than illicit drugs, human trafficking, terrorist activities, and other pressing threats to public safety.
The actions are not aligned with Americans’ priorities and the principles of national security, faith and law enforcement leaders.
“Americans want safe communities, a secure border and a functional immigration system,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “There is wide support for deporting violent criminals and focusing resources on threats to public safety. Recent actions go beyond that mandate and are alarming from the standpoint of human life and dignity, family unity, and compassion.
“The National Immigration Forum’s principles and those of our partners represent a reasonable starting point for policies that honor our security and economic needs without sacrificing American values. We need the administration and Congress to work together on balanced solutions.”
The principles of the Council on National Security and Immigration include, among others, “proactively address[ing] vulnerabilities in our outdated immigration system,” “robust and efficient screening and vetting, as well as effective border security measures,” and also “welcoming the most vulnerable migrants in accordance with our domestic laws and international obligations and encourage other countries to do the same.”
Similarly, one of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force’s principles reads, “State and local law enforcement should target criminals, not contributing members of the community.” The task force also notes that “When immigrants feel safe in their communities, we are all safer.”
And the Evangelical Immigration Table’s principles call in part for immigration policy that “respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects the unity of the immediate family, respects the rule of law and guarantees secure national borders.”
Murray and leaders from each of these groups are available for interview.