Trump Attacks Refugees, Asylum Seekers in State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C.—In response to President Trump’s State of the Union address in which he attacked the asylum and refugee systems, Human Rights First’s Jennifer Quigley issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s State of the Union address was filled with shameless fear-mongering aimed at undermining this nation’s long history of protecting persecuted individuals. Protecting our national security and offering refuge to those fleeing violence are not mutually exclusive—why should the most powerful nation on earth be afraid of the most vulnerable people in the world?

“Our asylum system, which is full of safeguards that prevent against fraud and abuse, is a symbol of our nation’s compassion, not a ‘loophole’ as the president so flippantly dismisses.

“The president and his hard-line immigration extremists are holding Dreamers hostage with demands that are not aimed at securing the  border or closing loopholes. Instead they will close the door to refugees fleeing gang violence and terror, and punish those who seek protection in the United States by sending them to jails and detention facilities.

“Asylum and due process are not loopholes, they are fundamental American ideals.”