Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive orders signed today:
“President Trump’s actions today have grave potential effects on Pennsylvania communities. His order could strip needed resources from communities across the country, crippling funding for schools, depleting resources for domestic violence shelters and halting economic development projects. It would also turn our local police forces into a de facto immigration force, taking community cops off their local beats and robbing them of the ability to target their resources and efforts on stopping violent criminals and addressing local problems.
Several years ago, I supported a bipartisan effort in the Senate to strengthen border security which would double the number of border patrol agents to 38,400, build 700 miles of fencing along the border and substantially increase funding for border security and find a fair solution for undocumented immigrants—all actions that experts agree would make our borders safer. President Trump’s actions today turn a blind eye to this effort while failing to provide any effective immigration reform.
We should be spending time and energy on how to fully fund the COPS program, getting guns out of the hands of violent individuals, investing more in our education system and helping law abiding families remain together. I will continue to work for immigration policies that keep our country safe and uphold our values, but President Trump’s actions today do neither.”
