Immigration lawyer Lisa Koop, adjunct professor at the Notre Dame Law School, says...
"The executive orders issued by the president yesterday are deeply troubling and demonstrate that the administration’s perceptions of immigration law and immigrants themselves are entirely untethered from reality. The orders infringe on U.S. and international laws and have harmed our relationships with international allies, as illustrated by Mexico’s cancellation of bilateral talks that had been scheduled for next week. Furthermore, the basic premise of these orders is wrong. Our communities are safest when all members receive due process, do not feel compelled to live outside the mainstream, and can trust that local law enforcement will protect them. Our immigration laws, like all the laws of the nation, should be executed in a manner that honors our core American values. To honor the principles of our forebears and the tenants of the faith of many Americans, we cannot turn away refugees or cast out long-term community members who are our neighbors, coworkers, fellow worshippers, and friends. The fabric of our republic is bound together by immigrant threads and this fabric unravels without immigrant contributions. These orders are fundamentally contrary to our American values."
Koop serves as associate director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, where she supervises the Asylum and LGBT Immigrant Rights projects and handles federal litigation and deportation defense matters.
She is available for further comment at 312-660-1321 (office), 312-446-5365 (cell) or [email protected]
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