03 SEP 2022

Led by Trump, Oz and Mastriano Represent An Extreme and Dangerous Immigration Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, in reaction to former President Trump holding a rally in Pennsylvania alongside GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and GOP Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub, issued the following statement:

“Trump’s legacy is one of tearing children away from their parents, enacting cruel and inhumane immigration policies and creating chaos at our southern border. It’s no wonder Doug Mastriano and Mehmet Oz embraced him with open arms today.

“As the leading GOP candidates in Pennsylvania, Mastriano and Oz are advancing an extreme agenda that puts our nation’s Dreamers on a path to deportation, amplifies white nationalist talking points, and divides our communities – but it’s also an agenda that Pennsylvania voters have rejected before. Trump was a one-term President in large part because Americans, including Pennsylvania voters, were repulsed by his vitriol against immigrants and human rights violations at the border. In fact, half of Trump’s supporters who switched to Biden in 2020 cited Trump’s immigration policies as more of a reason to vote against him. 

“Running on ending DACA, weaponizing immigration to scare voters and embracing inhumane Trump-era policies that target immigrant children and communities may score political points with the fringe right, but it will not win Pennsylvania. Let’s be crystal clear: Pennsylvania voters rejected Trump’s cruel immigration agenda in 2018 and 2020. Voters have made it clear that they want an immigration system rooted in fairness, humanity and functionality and they strongly support citizenship for undocumented immigrants including our nation’s Dreamers. 

“This November, the contrast between the two parties could not be clearer and Democrats have an opportunity to hold the GOP accountable for their anti-immigrant record. While Republicans embrace hateful rhetoric against immigrants and sow division, Democrats must show their commitment to protect Dreamers and create a path to citizenship for farmworkers, TPS holders and other immigrant workers who are essential to our nation’s economy.”

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.