In the wake of the defeat of repeal efforts to health care, Trump is taking to the campaign trail again. This time to Long Island to give a speech to argue for an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Tania Unzueta, Legal and Policy Director for Mijente responded, “At a time when the administration is trying to defund health care, PBS, or almost all other government agencies over their supposed costs, it’s ridiculous to see it also trying to inflate ICE’s payroll.”

The group points to Trump’s use of the term ‘animals’ in a speech about immigration, Sessions’ use of the word ‘filth,’ and just yesterday ICE director Homan’s admission that he views all undocumented people as criminals to be targeted for deportation to describe an agency and administration actively fearmongering and running amok.  

While one ICE agent began to blow the whistle on a culture of discrimination and hostility inside the agency, the Washington Times reported that use-of-force by ICE agents is up by 150%.  

Unzueta continued, “What is becoming abundantly clear is that ICE is the public safety threat, not a solution to it. But today’s speech is not about sound policy or sane world views. Whether its Jeff “Too Racist” Sessions cracking down on sanctuary cities after being berated by his boss or Trump attacking us after losing the health care vote, immigrants are being used as this administration’s go-to to inflame its base and to compensate for its own failures.”

The environment, however, that the administration is creating is not lost on anti-immigrant extremists with the Governor of Texas now threatening to sue to end the DACA program for immigrant youth.  What is actually happening, the group says, is that Trump is using tactics familiar in history of attacking one group to dangerously isolate and make them vulnerable to attack.

Unzueta concludes, “We will not be anyone’s scapegoat and cities should not be bullied into being accomplices to a rogue agency following the orders of a rogue President. We’ll all be safer when government prioritizes investing in our communities instead of over-policing them.”