Carper Statement on the Trump Administration’s Planned ICE Raids

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement amid reports that the Trump Administration’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to launch nationwide raids across 10 major cities in order to arrest and deport thousands of undocumented migrants this Sunday. 

“I try to live my life by a few guiding principles. One of those principles is the Golden Rule, which calls on us to treat others the way we would want to be treated. That Golden Rule is shared – in some form or another – by every major religion around the world. Another one of those principles is the call to action put forth in Matthew 25: ‘When I was hungry, did you feed me; when I was naked, did you clothe me; when I was thirsty, did you give me drink; when I was a stranger in your land, did you take me in?’ This Administration, however, is choosing to enforce a policy that flies in the face of both of those principles.

“America is a country of good neighbors, not a country that should be in the business of separating families or terrorizing those who have already fled unspeakable violence. And we’re a country of limited resources. We should be devoting our time and funds to addressing serious criminals and threats to our nation — not families living next door in our communities and contributing to our society. Even officials within the Trump Administration recognize that this is the wrong approach—including a few who were reportedly fired for saying so.

“These raids are not a serious solution to irregular migration. Rather, they seem only designed to stoke fears and incite the President’s political base. What we should be doing instead is working to address the root causes driving migrants to our Southern border: the lack of opportunity and hope, crime and violence, and corruption that makes life difficult and dangerous for so many in the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. I strongly believe that it was a mistake for President Trump to cut off funding for these countries, especially as we were just starting to see the funding produce results in the Northern Triangle. If he were really serious about reducing migration, he would restore the funding, and once again call off these needless and cruel raids.” 

On Thursday, Carper joined 38 Democrats to introduce the Stop Cruelty To Migrant Families Act, a bill that would end family separations at our border and provide much-needed health and safety protections for children and families arriving at our border.