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Trump ICE Raids on Ten American Cities Will Rip Families Apart

July 11, 2019 Washington, DC – The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today condemned the planned raids on immigrant families in ten American cities starting this weekend as cruel and unnecessary. Jody Rabhan, NCJW’s director of government relations and advocacy, released the following statement:

“The ICE raids planned to begin this weekend in ten American cities will rip families apart, cause chaos and confusion, and undermine local law enforcement by inciting fear of local police. A typical raid will involve a pre-dawn attack on a house or apartment, with ICE agents  kicking in doors and grabbing whomever is inside. The raids will not be the result of court ordered warrants but bureaucratic paperwork intended to force compliance by those unaware of their rights. And they will result in dividing families whose members are a mix of US citizens, immigrants awaiting court hearings, and asylum seekers.

“Those detained as a result will be interned in the same abominable conditions as others already housed in overcrowded for-profit shelters noted for unsanitary conditions, inadequate food and spotty medical care. Children will be added to shelters already housing young minors separated from parents whose only caretakers are themselves children only a bit older than those in their charge.

“The raids will be politically popular in some quarters while the rest of US citizens watch in horror at the violations of human rights rampant at our southern border. An overwhelming majority of immigrants already show up for their court appearances; the raids solve nothing. They are just another tactic in the xenophobic war on immigrants launched by the federal government in January 2017 under Trump’s direction and continuing to the present day.

“Members of the National Council of Jewish Women across the country have joined protests against these policies and have helped efforts to ameliorate the terrible conditions afflicting those detained. We will not stop until the administration’s war on immigrants ends once and for all.”

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. More information on Facebook and on Twitter at @NCJW.