Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump wrapped up his first day back in office by signing a slew of executive orders, from addressing birthright citizenship and declaring a national emergency at the southern border, to strict gender policies.
While the details of the executive orders haven’t yet been released, a local nonprofit organization is worried, and Connecticut leaders vow to fight back.
“Attorneys general are ready,” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said. “We’re not just preparing, we’re mobilizing now.”
In a press conference Monday afternoon, Tong vowed to take action to protect Connecticut families.
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“We expect him to act on birthright by executive order and we are ready for that as soon as he does,” Tong said. “America runs on Dunkin and immigrant workers, including undocumented people.”
By Monday night, after Trump signed an executive order on birthright citizenship, Tong issued a statement, saying “We will sue imminently, and I have every confidence we will win. The 14th Amendment says what it means, and it means what it says—if you are born on American soil, you are an American. Period. Full stop.”
Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream, a statewide network for undocumented youth and their families, said many are scared.
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“Certainly, folks have been pretty fearful, and we've received a good amount of anecdotal evidence of parents who are scared to send their kids to school. That's been a question, you know, ‘is it OK for my child to go to school? What happens if ICE comes to my child’s school?’ she said.
"You have students who are also not really sure about applying for college, right? And filling out information because they're not sure if that means that giving their information would compromise them,” Sookdeo continued.
She said the organization has been preparing for the Trump administration to make these sweeping executive orders.
“I knew that it was coming, but it was still pretty shocking to both hear and to see the language. It's just extremely hateful and xenophobic,” Sookdeo said. “We are, you know, preparing for the worst. But we are expecting and hoping that it won't be as bad.”
On Monday in the oval office, when asked by reporters when ICE agents would begin mass deportations, Trump said he couldn’t say when, but promised it will happen.
“Without immigrants in the community, it takes away tax dollars,” Sookdeo said. “It takes away from our beautiful social fabric that makes Connecticut, Connecticut.”
