FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 1/25/17
CONTACT: Ian Gavigan ([email protected]) 215-686-3408
Councilmember Helen Gym Responds to Trump Executive Actions
PHILADELPHIA—Councilmember at Large Helen Gym released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s executive actions on immigration and refugees:
“It’s no surprise that this announcement comes on the cusp of a president’s plans to cut taxes for his fellow one percenters and hand out high-ranking jobs to Wall Street billionaires while gutting healthcare for 30 million people. These are policies meant to scapegoat vulnerable communities and distract and divide the nation as he works to sell out American workers and hurt American families.
“There’s a reason that over 300 cities and municipalities have adopted sanctuary policies: these policies make us safer. Sanctuary policies are promoted by local law enforcement across the country. They are built to protect the human and constitutional rights of all of us. We know that our cities are stronger when all of our neighbors trust and feel comfortable going to the police and when all of us maintain our due process rights enshrined in the Fourth Amendment.
“The executive actions taken today are a direct assault on America’s communities—an assault that spews the same hatred and divisiveness that Trump campaigned on.
“Americans know better. That’s why he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes.
“We’re on the right side of history. It’s our immigrant communities who are revitalizing our towns and cities, reversing decades of population decline and repopulating our public schools, and who are rebuilding the economic engine of our nation.”
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