“Today, I attended the State of the Union and stared fear in the eye. If I was a person of focus, commitment, and sheer will before today, all that pales compared to what immigrant youth and our community will become moving forward.
“The President’s words when referring to immigrants and immigration during his address to the nation were toxic. He is so misinformed about our community and so unwilling to let go of the fear that feeds his, and the white supremacists in the Administration’s, ignorance.
“President Trump offered no surprises, only more of the dangerous rhetoric that has divided our nation and pitted one community against another. And his so-called immigration pillars which he offered in exchange for protection for immigrant youth represent a crumbling facade for racist and white supremacists whispering in his ear. No amount of sweet talk will convince our community his proposal is serious or worthy of support.
“There is a lot of work that can get done if tribal flames are not fanned by our Divider-In-Chief. But for this to happen, we will need to keep mobilizing, organizing, getting out the vote, educating our community, and raising our voice to ensure the next State of the Union reflects our dreams, desires, contributions, and demands.”
Melody Klingenfuss, CHIRLA state-wide youth organizer. She attended the State of the Union in Washington, DC as a guest of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the largest immigrant rights organization in California, reacted to President Trump’s first State of the Union address Tuesday.