Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine joined other elected officials and community leaders to demand that the Trump administration immediately end its practice of separating children from parents who came to the United States seeking asylum. Below is a transcript of his remarks.

Story

This is not who we are as Americans.

Donald Trump is making this a land where we are a saying to the people of the world, "This is no longer the land of opportunity beyond the golden door, no longer the beacon of hope for the liberation of humanity."

Instead, Trump’s America has become a place where if you come to us in desperation, seeking freedom, seeking asylum, seeking the American dream, you’re not merely shunned – you’re terrorized. Willfully, intentionally, gratuitously terrorized, and your children are terrorized. All of you – every single person here can imagine what it would mean to have your child taken from you and then to be put on a plane and flown across an unfamiliar continent and imprisoned with no idea where your child is.

That is not our America. Our America is a place that was created and built over the years to better humanity, to free people, to help people fulfill their potential. We are going to stand together to demand that America be restored.

I am so proud of these elected officials and of all of you who are here today for being part of a movement – a movement to take back our country, and our dignity, and the purpose of this nation.

I found out yesterday that our own publicly-owned county airport, Boeing Field, is a place where these immigrants – these asylum seekers – are being brought by ICE on charter planes and brought through private airport service operators, and then brought to this facility. I can tell you, I’ve already talked to (King County) Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, and we are going to do everything within our power – I’m going to do everything in my power – to make sure our publicly owned airport built by the people of this county is not used to perpetuate this brutality against people.

So thank you to all of you for being here today, and to all these elected officials.

For more information, contact:

Chad Lewis, Executive Office, 206-263-1250