Another Trump disgrace: Racism and white supremacy must never be pardoned

[Sheriff Arpaio is notorious for humiliating prisoners by dressing them in pink and for housing them in tents in scorching summer heat averaging 110 degrees. Arpaio was reported to have spent one night in jail before he was pardoned, but there’s no word as to whether he looked pretty in pink. Here, prisoners in pink shorts are forced to stroll the yard hand in hand. Humiliation is purifying, Arpaio says. – Photo: Paul O’Neil, AP]

The following is a statement from Sameera Hafiz, advocacy director for the We Belong Together, on behalf of the domestic workers and immigrant women who are part of the campaign:

“With his first presidential pardon, Trump disgracefully pardoned Arpaio, who notoriously targeted and profiled communities of color in Arizona. Those same communities mounted and won a campaign to oust Arpaio from his position as sheriff. They sought justice, with the law on their side, and ended Arpaio’s reign.

“Since the launch of Trump’s campaign, he has shown us who he is through his hateful rhetoric demeaning people of color, women, individuals with disabilities and countless others. Yesterday he took it even further through his ban of transgender individuals in the military and his pardon of Arpaio, which for our communities mean one thing: Trump has used the presidential bully pulpit to pardon white supremacy, racism and bigotry.

“Our families want freedom and they deserve to feel safe and be together. Trump’s administration lacks the decency and the leadership to uphold these values. We call on our political leaders to denounce Trump’s actions and stand on the right side of history.”

“Since the launch of Trump’s campaign, he has shown us who he is through his hateful rhetoric demeaning people of color, women, individuals with disabilities and countless others.”

The previous day, when Trump hinted at a pardon of Arpaio but hadn’t yet made it official, Sameera Hafiz issued another statement, saying in part:

“[W]e do not trust any deals or proposals coming from the White House that pretend to be good for DREAMers, while using them as bargaining chips for anti-immigrant proposals that will separate their families and deport millions of people.

“We must keep up the pressure until the administration ensures there will never be a pardon for Arpaio and White supremacy, not in Charlottesville and not in Phoenix. We will keep fighting to save important programs like DACA and TPS that keep families together and communities intact. We won’t allow Trump to continue to push his racist agenda that targets millions of families. Political stunts like tonight’s rally in Phoenix or the Administration’s reckless policies do nothing more than create bigger divides in our country and monger fear.

“Tonight, we know we can trust the power of community because we saw what happens when people come together to trump hate, uphold democracy and demand a nation that allows all families to be together. We’ve seen this is Charlottesville, Boston and now Phoenix. We are the majority.”

About the National Domestic Workers Alliance: National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States, most of whom are women. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for the respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers. It’s won legislation protecting domestic workers’ rights in seven states including New York, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon, Connecticut and Illinois. The alliance is powered by over 60 affiliate organizations – plus local chapters in Atlanta, Durham, Seattle and New York City – of over 20,000 nannies, housekeepers and caregivers for the elderly and people with disabilities in 37 cities and 18 states.

About We Belong Together: We Belong Together is a campaign led by the National Domestic Workers Alliance to mobilize women in support of immigration policies that keep families together and empower women. To learn more about the campaign, visit http://www.webelongtogether.org.

National Bar Association: President Trump’s pardon is a further testament to his moral decline

Washington, D.C. – National Bar Association President Juan R. Thomas issued the following statement on the pardon of Joseph Arpaio, former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona:

“President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, one of the most blatant bigots of this era, marks a dark day in the history of our nation. Arpaio, a paragon of hatred, has for decades initiated an aggressive assault on the rights and liberties of minorities generally, and Latinos specifically.

“He was convicted, but not yet sentenced, for criminal contempt for failure to obey a federal judge’s order to cease unconstitutional detentions and racial profiling of Latinos. Trump’s pardon of these flagrant violations without following the established presidential pardon process will embolden extremists and elevate Arpaio as the poster child for the anti-immigrant and racist movement that is sweeping our nation.

“Actions speak louder than words. By granting this pardon, Trump has undermined the rule of law, pandered to hate, impugned the integrity of the judiciary, and confirmed what people of good conscience can no longer deny – that despite his insincere words, Trump’s actions enable the perpetuation and legitimation of xenophobic, bigoted and racist ideologies.”

“President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, one of the most blatant bigots of this era, marks a dark day in the history of our nation.”

“The office of the president should not be used to undermine the moral fabric of our democracy and Trump’s actions serve as a warning to our acceptance of normalizing the abnormal – of accepting the dramatically altering societal norms we are experiencing. The NBA is committed to the rule of law, to stemming the wave of attacks on hard-fought civil rights gains, to halting the rise of the extremist right, and promoting a racially united, inclusive and just nation.”

The National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 60,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. The NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, nine divisions, 12 regions and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.nationalbar.org.