During yesterday's State of the Union address, President Trump had the opportunity to broadcast a message of hope and unity for the country. Instead, he chose to scapegoat unaccompanied immigrant children, one of the most vulnerable populations. He condemned inexistent "loopholes" and painted children as covert MS-13 members endangering the U.S. community.
The President's remarks are consistent with efforts from Congress and the Justice Department to attack asylum seekers who have fought tremendous obstacles to seek protection under U.S. law. Asylum seekers fight for relief without the right to counsel, frequently in a language they don't understand, detained, and under laws that are second only to the tax code in their complexity. This hardly constitutes "loopholes."
CAIR Coalition condemns this Administration's continued attack on the due process rights of asylum seekers, including immigrant children. It is not the first time that the President or his Attorney General have vilified children in their fearmongering remarks. CAIR Coalition firmly believes that immigrant children are children first and foremost. That is why we fight for their right to due process and dignity each and every day.
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