HND Statement – President Trump’s Executive Order to Ban Muslims and Refugees
January 29, 2017
CONTACT: Dr. Mai Moua, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
(651) 495-1517
maim@hmong.org
HND CONDEMNS RECENT ANTI-MUSLIM AND ANTI-REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT RHETORIC
Saint Paul, MN Hmong National Development (HND) has worked for over twenty years to empower the Hmong community to achieve prosperity and equality. Since President Trumps inauguration, we have seen Executive Orders that question the idea of American democracy and the values this country was founded upon.
Within hours of his oath of office, Trump signed an Executive Order for federal agencies to stop enforcing aspects of the Affordable Care Act, which threatens disruption for health providers and patients. He has called for the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border of Mexico and the United States, and signed an Executive Order that suspends refugee programs and immigration from seven countries.
“HND is deeply saddened at recent events, driven by this President and his Administration, that continue to foster hate and discrimination in this country, remarked Bao Vang, HNDs President & CEO. The Hmong in the U.S. were refugees, and today, many of our Hmong community members continue to seek refuge from political and ethnic persecution. As a community, we know how detrimental this Executive Order was for all refugees, because we have experienced this intimately. We stand in unity with our refugee and immigrant brothers and sisters from all across the world in defiance of these Executive Orders.
We are working alongside with our national partners and allies to help protect our communities safety and rights. We applaud our legislative officials and policy makers who have committed to protecting the rights of the most vulnerable. We will not be deterred by this Administrations threats in fact, it makes us stronger in our unified approach to creating a stronger community.
We will not stop fighting for our collective rights, and we remain committed to ensuring the success of all of our communities.
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HND is a national 501(c)3, nonprofit whose mission is to: empower the Hmong community to achieve prosperity and equality through education, research, policy and advocacy, and leadership development. For more information about HND, please visit http://www.hndinc.org