Press Statement: Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO’s Executive Director, Condemns President’s Racist Comments

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, jerry@2014old.galeo.org, 678.691.1086.

January 12, 2018 (Atlanta, GA) After an announcement of a bipartisan group of Senators working on an immigration deal, Senators were back at the White House meeting with the Trump Administration to discuss the agreements made. During that meeting on Thursday in the Oval Office of the White House, the President made racist comments regarding immigrants from Africa, Haiti and El Salvador while praising those from Norway.

Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, responds with the following statement:

“We are deeply troubled, disturbed but not surprised that the President of the United States of America would once again make racist and white supremacist remarks against immigrants. Our values as a nation are to honor our diversity as a strength and not to demonize nor marginalize immigrants from other parts of the world. Clearly, the President does not hold those same values.

While we strongly condemn the President for his tarnishing of the Office of the Presidency with such vile and racist language, we encourage our Congressional leaders not to be distracted by his latest outburst and continue work on the passage of a DREAM Act that does not come at the expense of family-based migration.”

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About GALEO

GALEO’s mission is to increase civic engagement and leadership development of the Latino/Hispanic community across Georgia.

CORE BELIEFS: Inclusive, Non-Partisan, Diversity, Responsive

Website: http://www.2014old.galeo.org

News:

1/12/18: Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO, on “A Closer Look” with Rose Scott on WABE.

https://www.wabe.org/episode/closer-look-celebrates-three-years-air/

1/12/18: “Perdue says he doesn’t recall Trump’s controversial Haiti comments”

https://politics.myajc.com/blog/politics-blog/perdue-says-doesn-remember-trump-controversial-haiti-comments/Rj2D7P1AqkM3HNuzDlutpO/

Under no circumstances is it acceptable to degrade, denigrate, or dehumanize #TPS immigrants. The White House must immediately explain the situation and leave no doubt regarding what was said and in what context.

— Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) January 11, 2018

The president calling #Haiti a "shithole country" ignores the contributions thousands of Haitians have made to our #SoFla community and nation. Language like that shouldn't be heard in locker rooms and it shouldn't be heard in the White House

— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) January 11, 2018

CNN, Anderson Cooper: “Let me be clear tonight. The people of Haiti have been through more… withstood more — they’ve fought back against more injustice than our President ever has.” Anderson Cooper choked back tears as he reflected on the devastating quake nearly 8 years ago http://cnn.it/2Ez04PZ

“Utah’s Mia Love, the only Haitian-American in Congress, says Trump should apologize for his ‘s—hole’ comment”

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/01/12/utahs-mia-love-the-only-haitian-american-in-congress-says-trump-should-apologize-for-his-s-hole-comment/

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ):

The words used by the President, as related to me directly following the meeting by those in attendance, were not “tough,” they were abhorrent and repulsive.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) January 12, 2018

GOP Rep. Steve Womack told 40/29 News he wished Pres. Trump had phrased his remarks about Haiti and African nations differently, but that he agrees with what he thinks the president meant.

http://www.4029tv.com/article/rep-womack-responds-to-pres-trumps-comments/15072136

https://twitter.com/RepLanceNJ7/status/951869778184032257