AILA: Trump Administration Moves Harm Families and Employers and Do Not Make America Safer

Washington, DC – The Trump Administration has recently expanded the list of countries affected by an indefinite ban and pause on adjudications, widespread cancellations of citizenship oath ceremonies and naturalization interviews, as well as an announced halt to the Diversity Visa lottery. Jeff Joseph, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) addressed those changes in the following statement:

“Our hearts are with those mourning the sudden loss of loved ones in the wake of the shooting at Brown University. In the midst of that grief, because the individual involved was reportedly granted a Diversity Visa in 2017 during the first Trump presidency, the Trump Administration is now trying to unilaterally halt the Diversity Visa process which has for decades offered a slim chance for people to contribute to America’s shared prosperity. Once again, this administration is reacting to a tragedy in an opportunistic way.  It is unjust, illegal, and ineffective to collectively punish whole communities, or in this case whole countries, for the actions of one person. The Diversity Visa is only the most recent restriction among many affecting people becoming citizens, receiving green cards, and awaiting humanitarian protection from not only the 40 named countries but many others given the categorical block on many forms of legal relief.

“The Trump Administration continues to weaponize tragedies as a pretext to advance anti-immigrant policies that are unjust and un-American. According to data from the Cato Institute, ‘over the next three years 400,000 legal immigrants and nearly 1 million tourists, business travelers, international students, foreign workers, and other temporary visitors will face’ bans. We need a system that invests in credible intelligence and security measures that will actually make America safer, rather than these kinds of blanket prohibitions. There are rational, lawful reforms that could address the challenges we face while also upholding our country’s commitment to our Constitution and values. That’s what we need now, not kneejerk reactions that will not make us safer.”