For Immediate Release
January 26, 2017
Reference: Sylvia Guerrero, Co-Chairperson GABRIELA D.C. info@gabrieladc.org
GABRIELA Washington, D.C. stands with Muslim, migrant and refugee communities in calling for the D.C. City Council members to support communities under attack by U.S. President Trump’s anti-people policies. In less than one week in office, President Trump has issued executive orders that essentially target vulnerable communities as the new administration aims to limit and ban entry of persons into the U.S. from countries that are predominantly Muslim, and instead invest more funding in law enforcement and military spending. The executive orders announced yesterday on January 25, 2017, include a $26 billion tax-payer dollars towards a border “wall” on the U.S.-Mexico border, a 50,000 cap on the number of refugees to be admitted into the U.S. for 2017, an increase in safe zones in the U.S., and budget cuts on Sanctuary city programs.
The new administration claims the executive orders are efforts to address the security needs of the U.S. in fear of foreign-born nationals who are presumed to be the biggest threat to the nation and have been labeled as “terrorists.” During Trump’s presidential campaign he also labeled Filipinos as “animals” from “terrorists” nations. While these blatant remarks against immigrants have stirred widespread fear and repression among communities, these executive orders only prove who the real “bully” is.
“With over 6,000 Filipinos leaving our home country every day, we as migrants are pushed out of our country, because there is poverty, landlessness, unemployment, and lack of national industrialization where we came from. Essentially we are forced to migrate and seek jobs abroad just to put food on the table and send money back to our families,” stated Janet Gardose, Vice-Chairperson of GABRIELA USA.
In the Philippines, social-economic conditions are impacted by U.S. intervention and militarization. The Philippine government is a puppet regime of the U.S., implementing its own imperialist agenda in the country. Instead of focusing on pro-people policies that would promote economic and social sustainability, the Philippine administration has a history of prioritizing U.S. interests before its own people. As one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid/funding and with thousands of U.S. troops being deployed to the Philippines (even more than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined), the Philippines is used as a base for the U.S. to protect its own gains, such as natural resources, goods, and products in our country and corporate interests in the Asia-Pacific region. “U.S. Imperialism remains the “bully” in our homelands and the number one threat to the Filipino people,” sited Jo Quiambao, Secretary-General of GABRIELA D.C.
In countries, like Syria, Iran, and Yemen, whose people now face a ban of entry in the U.S. are also countries that have experienced and suffered through wars of aggression, fully supported by the U.S. government. While Trump plans to ban people from these countries, it is important to be reminded that the U.S., with previous administrations before, has implemented airstrikes, drone attacks, and deployed thousands of military to these nations. The true threat is and has been U.S. Imperialist power advancing its global, capitalist agenda by repressing people using fascist tactics to divide and conquer, to secure its own advances by feeding the US’s war agenda here and abroad.
GABRIELA D.C., recognizes that the anti-people policies of the Trump administration will only exacerbate attacks on Muslim and immigrant communities – increasing the threat of arrests, deportation, discrimination, and violence. GABRIELA members are in solidarity with other immigrant and Muslim communities in calling for a firm commitment from the D.C. City Council and D.C. Mayor Bowser in making D.C. a Sanctuary City for all. With the strong urgency for immigrants, workers, and the most marginalized in our communities to keep organizing and be protective in the face of such attacks in Washington, D.C., the D.C.City Council must also take a stand to protect vulnerable peoples. As GABRIELA D.C. we call on local and national organizations to keep advancing social justice, people’s movement work in educating and mobilizing our people and strive to form a stronger united front with allies against U.S. Imperialism both here in the district and abroad.
Long Live International Solidarity!
Ang Tao, Ang Bayan! Ngayon Ay Lumalaban!
The People United Will Never Be Defeated!