MUSLIMS, LATINOS UNIFY OVER TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION, BORDER PLAN
US Muslim and Latino advocates have joined forces in opposing changes to immigration rules by President Donald Trump, bolstering their alliance as they mull the prospect of aggressive restrictions.
In joint press conferences and rallies across the country, they are decrying an action Trump signed to jumpstart construction on a southern border wall. Trump is expected to take steps to stop accepting Syrian refugees, suspend the United States’ broader refugee program for 120 days and suspend issuing visas for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa.
As Trump signed the first actions Wednesday afternoon, the hashtags #NoBanNoWall and #RefugeesWelcome trended on Twitter, and thousands signed a pro-refugee petition by Christian evangelical groups. Muslims, immigrants and their supporters rallied in New York City and elsewhere in protest.
Advocates and activists across racial, religious and ethnic lines have linked before but are now mounting a more unified response.
“An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” said Greisa Martinez, an advocacy director of the United We Dream Network, describing herself as “undocumented, unafraid and here to stay.”
“We believe this is the start of Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda,” she said.