The story of immigration is personal to me1. My mother was born in a concentration camp on April 13th, 1945, the day before Buchenwald was liberated by the American army. My grandparents and mother — both Holocaust survivors  — came to the United States as refugees, and were welcomed to a country where they could build a better life. Our nation’s greatness owes a lot to our welcoming attitude toward immigrants from around the world who come here to share their talent and hard work and to benefit from our freedoms and economic opportunity.  My family has lived this experience.

Our tradition of welcoming immigrants is under attack from the federal government. The separation of families at the border is inhumane and illegal2. DACA recipients live in fear that information they gave under the promise of protection will now be used against them3. Jeff Sessions has imposed an unconstitutional travel ban against Muslims that discriminates against individuals based only on their religion. All around our state and country, immigrants are afraid.

To protect our immigrants and develop a sound immigration policy at this time in our history, we need engaged citizens and responsible leaders to step forward. Colorado has a proud history of standing up for justice. Governor Ralph Carr opposed Japanese internment camps during World War II. Today, we must condemn hateful and xenophobic attitudes before they have a chance to take root