PRESS RELEASE
November 3, 201
South Carolina Civil, Human, and Immigrant Rights Groups Denounce the Disgraceful and Dehumanizing Comments of Congressman Jeff Duncan
On Monday, November 1, The Greenville News reported that U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, who represents South Carolina’s 3rdCongressional District, made remarks at Furman University in which he equated undocumented immigrants with vagrants and animals. The South Carolina Immigration Coalition issued the following statement regarding those remarks:
Congressman Duncan should apologize for his disgraceful statement comparing undocumented immigrants to animals and vagrants. Evoking images of “scary foreigners” is a tired trope of demagogues. Duncan’s effort to denigrate people based on their immigration status is unworthy of an elected representative to Congress.
Sadly, Duncan is not alone in seeking to dehumanize our friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers. The same harmful bias fueled the rush in the South Carolina legislature to pass SB 20, which now makes it a crime to give a person who is undocumented a ride to church and burdens our law enforcement with having to determine the immigration status of people they suspect – based primarily on their appearance or language skills – of being undocumented. Similar laws in Alabama, Arizona and Georgia have sown fear and confusion, harmed important industries, and sparked humanitarian crises.
Throughout history, people have moved from place to place in search of a better life. Migrants to the United States have helped build this nation, contributing to every facet of our society and our economy. We need an immigration system that works for everyone – native and foreign born. And South Carolina’s representatives should be focused on workable solutions instead of divide-and-conquer strategies.”
Contact: Tammy Besherse, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, tammy@scjustice.org
Filed under: Racism, South Carolina Tagged: | Furman, Jeff Duncan, South Carolina Immigration Coalition, Tammy Besherse
