Washington, D.C. — Today, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on immigration enforcement, putting in place policies that will affect American taxpayers, law enforcement, civil rights, and vulnerable communities.
President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden issued the following statement:
President Trump continues to build barriers and backward policies that undermine our country’s core values.
Trump has declared open season on law-abiding immigrants and communities of color, assembling a mass deportation force designed to tear apart American communities and undermine the work of local law enforcement.
Despite public opposition, Trump is moving forward with his ineffective and unfeasible idea of building a wall at the southern border and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. The economy and the public stand to lose trillions of dollars for a wall that will not improve security.
When taken together, Trump’s immigration actions could cost American taxpayers more than $117 billion over the next decade, reduce gross domestic product by nearly $5 trillion, and contribute to the loss of nearly 3.5 million jobs in America. Taxpayers will foot the bill for policies that fail to enhance security and instead foster a police state, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can still run rogue.
The financial costs, however, do not compare to the civil rights assault that immigrant and Latino families stand to suffer. Trump’s immigration actions for aggressive interior enforcement lay the foundation for a chaotic, mass deportation force that will destroy millions of families.
The entirety of these immigration actions runs counter to America’s identity as a nation of immigrants and its principles of justice and compassion, and it will certainly be tested. It is up to Congress to meet that test, and hold Trump accountable for his dangerous and unprincipled actions.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Beatriz Lopez at [email protected].