Congresswoman Maxine Waters Slams Trump Administration Efforts to Weaponize Federal Power to Harm Los Angeles, LAX and Other Sanctuary Cities

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement condemning Donald Trump and his Administration’s efforts to weaponize federal resources and government authority to target sanctuary cities and expand his mass deportation agenda, including reported proposals that could disrupt operations at major airports like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

“Trump’s revenge agenda, in which he is weaponizing the government to go after his enemies, now includes targeting American cities and the entire American economy. Even as gasoline and grocery prices skyrocket because of Trump’s unlawful and failed wars overseas, the President and the Department of Homeland Security now want to stop all international travel and trade coming through Los Angeles International Airport and numerous other major airports. LAX alone handled nearly $180 billion in international trade last year and welcomed 23 million international visitors. But these visitors and trade don’t just stay in Los Angeles or these other major ports of entry, they go on to every part of the country.

This isn’t the first time Trump has used airports as a weapon to push his dangerous agenda.  Earlier this year, he shut down the government, including the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), and forced thousands of TSA agents to work without pay because he wanted federal agents to continue to use intimidation and racist tactics common in places like Russia.
  
Trump’s latest threat couldn’t come at a worse time for Americans. According to the Federal Reserve, nearly one in ten Americans doesn’t have enough food to eat, higher even that at the height of the pandemic. Trump already said the quiet part out loud, he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation. Instead, he’s more focused on his ballroom and unlawful wars.

The residents of Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities overwhelmingly reject Trump’s terrible immigration and failed economic policies. I hope every American will join me and push back against yet another one of Trump’s threats, because if he isn’t stopped, prices will continue to rise, jobs will be lost, and everyone will be worse off.”

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