Trump’s Latest Attack on Immigrants and Asylum Seekers

Declaration of National Emergency Puts People’s Lives at Risk

WASHINGTON — President Trump declared a national emergency today and doubled down on his racist and harmful fight for a border wall. Throughout his speech, he lied about immigrants and incited fear to further his racist agenda.

Statement from Dr. Leana Wen, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of American and Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“The United States is the only industrialized country where maternal mortality is increasing. Black women are nearly four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. In 2017, more than 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. More than 1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including an estimated more than 150,000 individuals who do not know their diagnosis. This year, it’s estimated that nearly 42,000 women will die from breast cancer, and another 4,250 from cervical cancer. Yet President Trump is choosing to declare a national emergency in an effort to dedicate billions of dollars to fund a border wall. Last fall, Americans spoke with their votes and made it known that health care was their number one issue. Imagine how many lives we could save if our President prioritized the health and well-being of people across our the nation.”

Statement from Dana Singiser, Senior Vice President for Policy, Campaigns and Advocacy, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“Since his first day in office, President Trump has repeatedly abused his power and sought to take away our rights, health care, and freedoms. Now, he has declared a national emergency in order to advance his xenophobic agenda to build a border wall. It is intolerable that immigrants and asylum seekers, many of whom rely on Planned Parenthood for health care, are harmed and endangered by the President’s decisions.”

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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy and electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.