Editor’s Note: The following press release was originally published by Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Press Release
The Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign’s Statement on Immigration & Deportation
The Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign stands in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors and communities. President Trump is taking drastic actions to restrict both lawful and unlawful immigration into the U.S. These policy changes have led to immigration raids across the nation, targeting businesses where undocumented day laborers and field workers are employed. These actions promote anti-immigrant hate crimes and instill fear in immigrant communities as families are torn apart, and communities already struggling with inequities are further devastated.
Immigration is central to our nation’s history. In fact, we are for the most part a nation of immigrants, first from England, France, and Spain, but later from all over the world. One of our historic national emblems is the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, who holds aloft her torch to welcome the “tired, poor, and huddled masses” seeking a better life in the new world. The contributions of immigrant workers and their families have been a cornerstone of the nation’s prosperity. Still, despite their many contributions, and even despite the U.S. Constitution’s promise of fundamental rights to all residents, our nation’s history has been blemished by many severe violations of these rights, especially in regard to people of color.
Today, migrants comprise at least 20% (one in four children had an immigrant parent) of the current multi-ethnic U.S. working class, hailing from diverse countries including El Salvador, India, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Haiti, and various Asian nations. U.S. economic policies, such as trade agreements like NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, have significantly contributed to increased migration. U.S. economic and military support for autocratic governments that privilege foreign investment over local development increase poverty in those countries, driving people to leave their homes to seek a better life in the U.S. Even climate change has now become yet another “push factor” driving the migration of desperate people.
The Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign believes policies that criminalize and dehumanize individuals not only deny people’s basic human rights but also erode the foundations of our communities. We demand policies that respect human rights, protect families, and ensure dignity, access to education, and opportunity for all.
Therefore, the Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign calls for immediate action, including:
- Sanctuary policies in all school districts, prohibiting schools from contacting ICE, Homeland Security, or law enforcement about immigrant children or parents.
- Ensuring no police involvement in matters involving children with disabilities and unhoused families.
- Enforcement of California Law SB-54, the California Values Act, which states that no city, state, or local officials may use public funds or resources to aid in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
We urge all communities to stand in solidarity to protect and uplift all children and families. Let’s not only demand justice but also work collectively to build a future where human dignity and equal opportunity are guaranteed for all!
For more info contact: Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign at: sacppcunited@gmail.com
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