AILA: Response to Tragedy Should be Measured and Bolster Security, Not Undermine It

Washington, DC – In response to the Trump Administration’s rapid series of immigration policy announcements and changes following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., leaders from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) shared the following statement:

AILA President Jeff Joseph said, “Our hearts go out to the family and community mourning the loss of Spec. Sarah Beckstrom and to those praying for a recovery for Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. Violence is unacceptable, and we all must stand together to ensure the safety of our communities. That is an undeniable truth. It is also true that nothing about the Trump Administration’s response to this tragedy will make our nation safer. These executive actions are grounded in retaliation and prejudice, and will only serve to cause greater fear, distrust and panic against immigrants. Taking a sledgehammer to the immigration system by completely banning Afghan nationals and asylum seekers, and blocking or rescreening hundreds of thousands of individuals including people who were long ago vetted and who are integral to our communities, will not solve anything. Collective punishment of whole communities for the actions of one person is ineffective, unjust, and contrary to our values. The shooter’s actions were the tragic and deplorable acts of a single individual. We call upon our nation’s leaders to resist using this incident as a pretext to punish immigrants. This is a tragedy that should not be compounded by biased and baseless kneejerk reactions.”

AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson added, “History has shown the devastating results of discriminatory targeting of entire communities including the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II and the Muslim bans of the first Trump Administration. Weaponizing this tragedy to advance an anti-immigrant agenda is not only unjust, but also dangerous. Pausing adjudications of pending applications, reevaluating individuals who have already been granted legal status, and discriminating against individuals based on their nationalities is a waste of government resources. It distracts us from effective security work, undermines trust in our institutions, and further delays the processing of applications. A system that respects the rule of law, provides fair and individualized review, and relies on credible intelligence rather than bias is the system that best protects the American people. AILA is committed to sensible, lawful reforms that address the real challenges in our immigration system, strengthen security, and uphold our nation’s constitutional and humanitarian commitments.”