FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, December 16, 2021
Press Contact: Jessica Ortiz, media@raicestexas.org
“The Biden administration is showing its true colors – a commitment to white supremacy by continuing and legitimizing Trump’s immoral legacy of harming immigrant children and families”
San Antonio, TX – In response to the news that the Biden administration has walked out of negotiations to compensate families impacted by separation at the U.S. – Mexico border, RAICES issued the following statement by Tami Goodlette, Director of Litigation:
“This news is crushing, and yet another promise broken by the Biden Administration to immigrant communities,” said Tami Goodlette, Director of Litigation at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). “The Trump administration traumatized thousands of young children by forcefully separating them from their families under its zero tolerance policy. This was an intentional act of abuse carried out by our government, and it is the administration’s responsibility to rectify the ongoing psychological and physical harm caused to these families.
“No amount of money can undo the trauma inflicted by family separation, however financial compensation would have been a critical step toward healing and justice for those whose families were torn apart by this cruel policy. After months of negotiations, the Biden Administration today abandoned the thousands of families torn apart by the prior administration.
“President Biden promised to help the immigrant children and families impacted by this brutal policy, but is now backing down with no explanation, acknowledgement, or apology to the families still reeling from being seperated and detained. For the Biden Administration to succumb to right-wing pressure and walk away from negotiations to reconcile with these families is immoral and nothing short of political cowardice.
“After re-implementing the racist ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, reinstating Title 42, and now turning its back on the families it promised to help, the Biden administration is showing its true colors – a commitment to white supremacy by continuing and legitimizing Trump’s immoral legacy of harming immigrant children and families,” concluded Goodlette. “We will not forget this heartbreak and cruel abandonment of our communities.”
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The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Learn more at raicestexas.org.
This post was originally published on RAICES.