CPEHN Statement on Supreme Court Rulings

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SACRAMENTO – Today, CPEHN released the following statement:

“CPEHN is extremely disappointed in today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Muslim travel ban. History will look back at today’s 5-4 ruling as a mistake that does nothing to secure our country but enables a discriminatory attack against immigrants and communities of color.

This is NOT the first time SCOTUS has upheld policies that would later be overturned and found unconstitutional. Look at our history – Dred Scott v. Sanford, Korematsu v. U.S., Plessy v. Ferguson, and Bowers v. Hardwick. The Korematsu case is reminiscent of today’s ruling; America justified Japanese internment camps under the guise of protecting our national security – but got it wrong.

Villainizing immigrant families, communities, and nationalities serves no purpose but to sow fear, distrust, and hate. CPEHN was founded a generation ago on a then audacious idea that ethnic communities could come together with a unified agenda to fight against racial injustice. We believe in the dignity and contributions of every person, regardless of their race, gender or religious background. The travel ban is a discriminatory attack against immigrants and communities of color. Today we lean on our values and ideals to denounce this xenophobic attack and to reaffirm our solidarity and commitment to advocating for social and racial justice for all.

CPEHN also stands against today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing anti-abortion ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ to continue to withhold critical information from our communities. These types of fake centers outnumber clinics with certified medical personnel, many receive federal funding, and are often strategically located in low-income communities of color, including in communities with little to no access to health care services. In order to make the best health decisions, we need accurate information about our full spectrum of choices.”