Statement on NAFTA and Immigration

“Civil society groups in the United States have a long list of changes we’ve been pushing in order to make trade policy better for working families.  Keeping out immigrants isn’t on that list.  We oppose Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to scapegoat immigrant workers.

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“Latin America’s working families and family farmers have been hit exceptionally hard by NAFTA and CAFTA, fueling displacement and forced migration.  No one should be forced to leave their home.  We have always fought alongside our Mexican and Central American counterparts to replace the corporate-centered NAFTA and CAFTA agreements with policies that put people before profits in all countries.

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“The trade debate has never been about the United States versus Mexico and Central America, but rather, big corporations against the rest of us.  A major reason that big corporations have pushed existing trade policies is so that they can ship jobs around the world to wherever workers are the most exploited and environmental regulations are the weakest.  This global race to the bottom is hurting working families everywhere, and it will only be abated with policies that improve working conditions and quality of life both at home and abroad.

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“Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s current NAFTA proposal fails to include the critical changes necessary to protect jobs, raise wages, defend human rights and reverse environmental damage.  Substantial additional changes are needed if the pact is going to provide real benefits to the majority of people other than corporate elites.
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“The revised NAFTA deal on offer does not include the enforcement mechanisms for labor and environmental standards needed to prevent employers from moving jobs abroad to areas where worker rights and environmental protection are routinely ignored.  Without strong labor and environmental rules with swift and certain enforcement, Trump’s version of NAFTA will continue to facilitate the outsourcing of jobs, the suppression of wages and the dumping of toxins.  While steps forward have been made in other areas, a NAFTA replacement without this fundamental fix is a nonstarter.

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“We need our elected officials to stop trying to pit working families against one another.  They need to get to work creating policies that actually benefit working people and the planet.”

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