NILC Responds to Nomination to U.S. Supreme Court of Judge Brett Kavanaugh

LOS ANGELES — President Donald Trump today announced the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. The announcement comes just over a week after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would soon retire.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“The Supreme Court is essential to maintaining the strength and integrity of our democracy. Its role in upholding the rights and values that we, as a nation, cherish most cannot be overstated.

“Judge Kavanaugh’s record makes it clear that he cannot be entrusted to uphold the awesome responsibility to be independent, open-minded, and to fairly weigh critical legal questions that have broad and significant impact on the lives of all who call the United States home. Kavanaugh’s legal writings and recent dissents speak for themselves: he thinks immigrant communities should be Constitution-free zones, and that reproductive justice should be curtailed.

“Especially at a time when the president and his administration have so freely traversed the boundaries of legality, the Senate has a responsibility to protect all its constituents. This includes the most marginalized, such as women, people of color, LGTBQI, workers, and the immigrant families, that live in their communities. If they do so, the majority of Senators should find that Judge Kavanaugh is unfit to serve in the highest court in the land.

“The next Supreme Court justice must demonstrate a commitment to defend the rights of all people in the United States, as provided by the Constitution, and to serve as an independent check on the presidency regardless of who occupies the White House. Judge Kavanaugh cannot demonstrate such a commitment. The Senate has a responsibility to reject his nomination.”

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NILC Denounces Trump Plan to Further Militarize Border Communities

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration today announced a plan to send military personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump is expected to sign a proclamation directing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to work with the governors of affected states to deploy the National Guard.

The announcement comes days after President Trump reacted viscerally to news reports about a campaign to draw attention to human rights abuses that people fleeing violence and poverty face while migrating in search of refuge.

Kamal Essaheb, policy and advocacy director at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Trump’s plan to send troops to border communities is yet another attempt to demonize immigrants and is utterly out of touch with reality. It is intended only to distract from real issues facing our country and to appease Trump, who is increasingly angry that his border wall vanity project has stalled. Just months ago, this administration was boasting about historically low unauthorized border crossings. Every American should be outraged by this wasteful, damaging, and opportunistic use of taxpayer dollars.”

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