For immediate release

Aug. 3, 2017

Contact: Elizabeth Brierly: Media [at] LP [dot] org or (408) 930-4172



Libertarian Party supports immigrants

Yesterday, a senior Trump aide dismissed the Statue of Liberty’s poem that welcomes immigrants.

The poem famously says, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

It is a cherished line that embodies the timelessness of immigrants coming to America in search of freedom and prosperity, wanting simply to build a better life for themselves.

The President and Republican senators have proposed a new immigration plan that purportedly would cut immigration in half by prioritizing those that have higher education and speak English.

This turns a blind eye to the many immigrants who need America the most — the tired, the poor, those yearning to breathe free — and prioritizes the rich and powerful instead.

This is not the spirit of America.

America’s immigration system has many problems that need fixing but this is not the right approach and it is dehumanizing to many who would be outstanding Americans if we gave them the chance.

Libertarian Party Chair Nicholas Sarwark says, “Had these been the requirements years ago, almost none of our ancestors would have been deemed fit to immigrate to this country and we wouldn’t be Americans today. This bill is flat out un-American. It favors the wealthy and powerful and ignores the many who are fleeing extreme poverty and violence, wanting to build a better life for themselves.”

For many years, the Statue of Liberty stood proudly as the logo for the Libertarian Party. That legacy lives on today with her torch serving as our logo.

The Libertarian Party’s position is that peaceful people should be allowed to travel and immigrate however they wish. If someone is peaceful, they should be allowed to travel or immigrate to the United States.

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