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Statement

'Heartless and Harmful,' Moms Leaders Say About Trump Executive Order Suspending Immigration

April 21, 2020
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the executive order banning immigration that President Trump will reportedly sign as soon as today:

“America’s moms are dismayed and horrified by reports that President Trump is about to issue an executive order suspending all immigration to the United States. This is another attempt by the President to distract us from his complete and utter failure to protect us as the country grapples with the worst public health crisis we have experienced in a century.  We need more tests, not more blame and failed leadership.

“The loss of life – now well over 40,000 – is heartbreaking, but it would be much worse without the skilled, heroic immigrants who are risking their lives on the front lines of this pandemic, working as doctors, nurses, paramedics and physician’s assistants. The disruption to our economy is devastating, but it would be even worse without the dedicated, hard-working immigrants who are running and staffing grocery stores, harvesting our food, driving trucks and buses, teaching our kids, and caring for the children of first responders and other essential workers."

--Statement of Donna Norton, executive vice president, MomsRising

“This President’s immigration policies are heartless and harmful. He has caged children, separated families, threatened the future of DACA recipients, banned Muslims from entering the country, deported Temporary Protected Status recipients, and in other ways demonized, denied essential services to, and discriminated against the immigrant communities that make our nation stronger. At this time of great need and terrible pain, real leaders bring people together. Instead, President Trump repeatedly stokes division. But America’s moms know better. We will pull through this by pulling together, and by saying ‘no’ to everyone who wants to divide us. We will stand with and for each other, across our differences.”

--Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.