TRENTON – Senator Nellie Pou released the following statement today after President Trump signed orders to build an American taxpayer-funded wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and block federal resources to sanctuary cities:
“President Trump’s actions today are misguided and misplaced. At a time when we need our communities, including our immigrant communities, to work together without fear of being victimized, President Trump’s actions undermine the trust and cooperation that has been built over the years.
“Etched on a tablet within the pedestal on which one of our country’s most iconic symbols, the Statue of Liberty, stands is a poem, which holds more significance today than ever before. It reads, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’
“This is what America is about – the compassion, the openness, and the welcoming spirit to this land of opportunity, where immigrants enter in search of opportunity, freedom and a better way of life. President Trump’s actions do not reflect our values here in New Jersey nor do they reflect our values as Americans.”