Equality California Responds to Attacks Against Immigrant Communities in California; Trump Deploying National Guard

LOS ANGELES - Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to recent immigration raids across California, and Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles:

"Donald Trump's decision to seize control of the California National Guard and launch sweeping immigration raids is a dangerous and deliberate escalation, intended to terrorize communities across our state. These actions are rooted in political theater and will ignite more fear in already vulnerable communities. They are sowing chaos and tearing families apart.

California is home to millions of immigrants who contribute to our economy, culture and civic life every single day. They deserve to be treated with dignity and humanity-not targeted like criminals in their own neighborhoods.

LGBTQ+ immigrants are especially vulnerable at this moment. Many have fled violence and persecution only to be met with federally-sanctioned cruelty here in the United States. These raids risk separating loving families, retraumatizing asylum seekers, and driving LGBTQ+ people further into the shadows-where access to safety, health care, and legal protection is even more limited.

We join Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta in decrying the deployment of the National Guard as intentionally inflammatory and counterproductive. We also join countless others in condemning recent ICE raids that have resulted in many detentions, including the unconscionable detention of SEIU California President David Huerta earlier this week.

State resources should never be used to support xenophobic immigration crackdowns. We stand in solidarity with immigrant communities across Los Angeles and the state-and we call on every leader, at every level of government, to reject this assault on our values and take urgent action to protect those under threat."

###