FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2024
CONTACT: Madison Allman | press@acaciajustice.org
[WASHINGTON] – Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, issued the following statement in response to anti-immigrant language used by President Biden during the State of the Union address:
“The words we use to describe people matter. Anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric have already inspired horrific acts of violence against Black and Brown communities in the United States, like the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, not to mention the collective villainization of people who arrive at our borders seeking safety.
“Despite President Biden’s promise to ‘restore the soul of our nation’ and leave the demonization of immigrant communities in the past, his use of dehumanizing language in last night’s State of the Union address will only normalize and further inflame those who seek to score political points through scapegoating immigrants in ways that undermine our values and the strength of our democratic ideals.
“Moral leadership is best embodied when decision makers put forth inclusive and equitable policies that live up to our nation’s ideals, rather than borrowing tired tactics from xenophobes.”
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