In response to the President Trump’s announcement of a planned Executive Order suspending immigration to the United States, Janson Wu, Executive Director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, issued the following statement:

“We are grappling with a global health crisis that is resulting daily in the deaths of thousands. At a time when the president should be focused on bringing people together, he is instead choosing to exploit the crisis to push a racist, xenophobic political agenda. The attention and resources of our federal government need to be focused on ensuring we have adequate safety equipment to protect healthcare workers and others on the front lines; that we increase testing and support science and medical experts in developing treatments and a vaccine; and that we support those most vulnerable to the health and financial impacts of this pandemic while working towards a responsible path to economic recovery.

“We in the LGBTQ community continue to stand in solidarity with all immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees, LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ. Immigrants, including foreign healthcare workers whose expertise is critical in this pandemic, will be part of what makes America stronger coming out of this crisis. Doubling down on divisive rhetoric about closing our country’s borders is not only cynical and un-American, it is a distraction from the real leadership we need from our government in this unprecedented moment.”