Call to End the Brutal and Immoral Treatment of Immigrants and Asylum Seekers by the Trump Administration

We, the members of The Lansdowne Democratic Committee, condemn the Trump administration policy which has reversed past practice and now requires the intentional separation of immigrant asylum-seeking families, including those with very young children, at our southern border.

We call upon the elected members of the legislative, judicial and executive branches to honor our treaty agreements, our civil law, our obligations under international law, and our respect for human rights by treating all immigrants and asylum-seekers in a humane manner.

We urge not only all Democrats, but all citizens regardless of political affiliation, and all elected and appointed officials to remember who we aspire to be as Americans – people who stand up for humane treatment of all people, regardless of citizenship status. We call for an immediate end to the current administration’s brutal policy of taking children from their parents, as it is a cynical and thinly veiled ploy to hold them as political hostages to the legislative goal of having taxpayers fund an ill-conceived and expensive border wall.

No human being is illegal.

The United States was founded by immigrants fleeing persecution and violence, and is strengthened by immigrants seeking economic opportunity. The act of requesting asylum in the US is not a crime under US or international law. America should honor its stated ideals and the will of the vast majority of its citizens by treating all immigrants humanely. These policies that terrorize children and families at the border are reminiscent of the most ignominious chapters of our history— “The Slave Trade,” “The Trail of Tears,” “The Japanese Internment Camps,” “The Mexican Repatriation Act” . . . just to name a few. We believe the horrific acts committed in our name, and in the name of enforcing laws, are intended to achieve a dubious political end, which only serve to demoralize immigrant communities and communities of color, and functions as a distraction from unprecedented Constitutional violations committed by the Trump administration.

Furthermore, we call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was established in 2003, to be abolished and the enforcement of immigration returned to Immigration and Naturalization Services. We also call for an independent review of ICE to ensure the protection of immigrant civil rights guaranteed by the US Constitution and international law. Additionally, we call upon all Democrats, to stand in unity on the right side of history, and condemn the policies that terrorize and dehumanize human beings seeking refuge at our borders. Finally, we also implore all our fellow citizens of conscience to stand up for the dignity and humanity of all people, demonstrating the values which define and motivate us as a people and a nation.

Contact: Charlotte K. Hummel, Esquire
Chair, Lansdowne Democratic Committee
610-626-7086